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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252816">The Journal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sara68650/pseuds/Sara68650'>Sara68650</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:42:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>157,704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sara68650/pseuds/Sara68650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What would you do if the love of your life was murdered? What if you could go back and save them? Would you?</p>
<p>After staying out late one night, Bora comes home from a reunion with Minji to find Siyeon, the love of her life lifeless and cold on the living room floor. After siyeon’s murder, bora keeps getting glimpses of Siyeon in reflections and starts wondering if she is losing her mind. Is Siyeon really still there, or is it all in her head? What unfinished business is would make Siyeon still linger beside bora?</p>
<p>Bora starts going through siyeon’s things while having a hard time accepting that Siyeon is really gone forever when she sees the journal that bora bought for Siyeon a little over a month ago. When bora reads the journal, she finds out that if she had listened to Siyeon, she might still be alive.</p>
<p>But the journal has its secrets. When Bora wakes up the next morning, Siyeon is alive beside her. She has one week to save Siyeon and if she fails, the week repeats. But Bora's chances are not infinite and time is running out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon, Lee Gahyeon/Lee Yoobin | Dami</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Murdered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>-Bora, 2:30AM-</h1>
<p>Bora just stood there in shock. She felt completely numb as tears ran down her now puffy face. All she could feel was cold as the flashing lights cast eerie shadows around in front of their apartment. Everything felt so surreal.</p>
<p> ‘This can't be happening! I had just said goodbye to Siyeon earlier tonight!’ Bora thought to herself as her body shook as she cried. She could actually feel her heart breaking. Someone put a blanket around her shoulders and tried to comfort her, but Bora was too out of it to listen or even remember who it was.</p>
<p>Slowly two paramedics carried a stretcher with a black body bag on top. Bora snapped at the sight of it. Inside that bag was Siyeon. The love of her life that she had just kissed goodbye and told her she would be back late. ‘Why did I have to go to that reunion? Why did I leave her alone? I knew something was bothering her lately! I should have just asked!’ Bora thought as her knees gave out. Her eyes locked on the black bag on the stretcher.</p>
<p>As the paramedics walked by, Bora lunged at the stretcher. Whoever was holding her tried to pull her away, but the dancer was stronger than them. Gently Bora unzipped the body bag to see siyeon’s pale face staring blankly upwards, and a sob escaped Bora.</p>
<p>Bora cradles siyeon’s cold head against her chest as she cries. “I'm so sorry! I should have been there! I shouldn’t have left you alone! It should have been me…” Bora says as she strokes siyeon’s hair. The paramedics give her a moment to say goodbye as she struggles with the idea that Siyeon is actually gone. The love of her life was erased from her life so violently, and Bora couldn’t handle it.</p>
<p>The small girl started hyperventilating, and her pulse quickened as she looked at siyeon’s blank stare. “she's really was gone…” Bora whispered just barely audible. Soon her eyes rolled back in her head as she passes out from the shock.</p>
<p>-Siyeon 10:30PM-</p>
<p><em>‘Everything hurts!’</em> Siyeon thinks to herself as she lays on the living room floor.  Her limbs felt numb, and she couldn’t move them, yet she could still feel the pain. She couldn’t feel her phone in her hand even though she knew it was there. Her breathing was labored as blood filled her lungs. ‘<em>please! Make the pain stop!</em>’ Siyeon thinks to herself as tears trickle from her eyes. She was too weak to speak aloud, and she didn’t know if her attacker was still around.</p>
<p>‘<em>am I going to die?</em>’ Siyeon askes herself as panic sets in. Her breathing becomes more labored, and the crackling of the blood in her lungs becomes more audible as she struggled to get her hand to move. <em>‘just once, please?’</em> Siyeon thinks as she manages to hit the send button. Soon her breathing becomes more erratic until her breathing slows to a stop, and then the only sound in the apartment was silence. Two last tears trickle down her face as the last of her energy fades, and she finally let's go.</p>
<p>Siyeon was unsure how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes. She was confused. <em>‘why am I on the floor?’</em> she thought to herself as she stood and looked at her surroundings.</p>
<p>Suddenly everything came flooding back, the attacker, her struggling to fight them off with all of her strength. The feeling of the knife piercing her body repeatedly and the feeling of the cold floor as she breathed her last breaths.</p>
<p>Siyeon’s eyes went wide as she looked down and realized she was standing over her body. She couldn’t believe it<em>. ‘that can't be me…’</em> Siyeon thought shakily as her knees gave out. She was staring at her own face. It stared back blankly as she looked into her own face, at her own body that lay bloody and cold.</p>
<p><em>‘This can't be happening! I'm alive!’</em> Siyeon screamed as cries shook her body. <em>‘please…let this just be a bad dream… a very bad dream…’</em> Siyeon thought to herself as she stood shakily and walked to the mirror that was by the front door. The mirror that Bora would always look at before leaving.</p>
<p>As Siyeon stood in front of the mirror, she saw nothing but a faint image of her staring back. It was true. She died.  Shrieks erupted from Siyeon as she started to realize the truth.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m dead… I will never be able to hold Bora again…’</em> Siyeon thought as her grief took over.</p>
<p>As Siyeon grieved for her death, she heard her phone ping. Looking around, she finds in the hand of her body before her. The screen was broken, and her blood filled the cracks, but the message was still barely readable.</p>
<p>10:31pm  Just know, I will always love you.  SIYEON</p>
<p>BORA &lt;3</p>
<p>I love you too, babe. This reunion sucks. I knew I shouldn’t have come. 11:45pm</p>
<p>I wish I were back at home snuggled up to you. &lt;3 11:46pm</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Siyeon was in the middle of messaging Bora when a knock at the door distracted her, when she met her killer. Once Siyeon hit send, her thumb was resting on the screen, keeping it active until her fingers became too cold to register on the screen. so the messages showed read to Bora.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>BORA &lt;3</p>
<p>Babe? Are you mad at me? 11:55pm</p>
<p>Why are you reading but not responding? 11:56pm</p>
<p>Baby, please don’t be mad at me! I know I shouldn’t have gone. Should I leave now?  11:58pm</p>
<p>Ok, I guess I will leave you alone for a bit to cool off… 12:00am</p>
<p>Siyeon sobbed as she read the messages pop up on the screen, and she knew she would never be able to respond. She didn’t want Bora to think she was mad at her only to have Bora come home and find her body.</p>
<p><em>‘Please, no! Bora doesn’t deserve this!’</em> Siyeon thinks as she desperately tries to pick up the phone, but her fingers just go through it. “PLEASE!”  Siyeon screams aloud, but nothing changes the outcome and the screen goes dark. As she reaches for it one last time, the phone just unlocks like it registered her fingerprint, but she couldn’t pick it up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>BORA &lt;3</p>
<p>Baby? Are you still mad at me? 1:58am</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to stay out so late, they all went for a second round, and I didn’t have a choice. I'm sorry… 1:59</p>
<p>I'm almost home, please talk to me? 2:00am</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora sighs as she unlocks the door and walks inside. The lights are off. <em>‘has Siyeon already gone to bed? She must be really mad…’</em> Bora thinks to herself as she steps inside and removes her shoes.</p>
<p>“baby?” Bora calls but no answer. Siyeon’s head snaps up at the sound of boras voice. ‘oh, no…’ Siyeon says as she looks at her body now a pale grey. Siyeon gets up quickly and goes to try to get boras attention somehow, but Bora walks right through siyeon.</p>
<p>Bora freezes in place for a second as cold chills run down her body. “what the hell was that?” Bora asked herself silently as she walks towards the living rooms light switch.</p>
<p>Quickly Bora flicks on the light, but Siyeon somehow manages to flick the light switch off. <em>‘what the hell, I can’t pick up a phone, but I can turn off a light switch?’</em> Siyeon said and shook her head.</p>
<p>Bora stood at the light switch with a puzzled expression and flicks the switch on again. It quickly flicks back down. This time Bora saw it.</p>
<p>Bora's eyes went wide, and her breathing picks up as she thinks of one of her fears, ghosts. Little did she know she was right, but this ghost was one she would want to keep beside her forever.</p>
<p>Bora gives it one last attempt. This time the light stayed on. Siyeon noticed the panic on Bora's face and didn’t want to scare her anymore.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m so sorry, I wish you didn’t have to see this…’</em> Siyeon whispers as chills run down boras neck.</p>
<p>“Siyeon?” Bora asks as she spins around to emptiness. Bora is confused. She swore she just heard Siyeon, but no one was there.</p>
<p>“baby?” Bora asks as she walks into the living room and freezes.</p>
<p>Boras eyes lock on to siyeon’s body on the floor.</p>
<p>“Siyeon?” Bora calls hesitantly, but no response. Bora takes hesitant steps closer and sees the blood everywhere and siyeon’s unblinking eyes looking upwards. She looks so pale that she seems grey and panic rises in boras throat.</p>
<p>“Siyeon? SIYEON!” Bora shrieks as she runs to siyeon’s pale and bloody body. “Siyeon! Wake up! Please? Answer me!” Bora screams as she hugs siyeon’s body. “please? Don’t leave me? You can't be dead!” Bora shrieks as she strokes siyeon’s head with shaky hands. Boras tears run down her face and drop onto siyeon’s cheek.</p>
<p>Siyeon touched her cheek. She felt the teardrops. Siyeon could only watch as Bora cried over her body.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m so sorry baby, I wish I could come back… but it’s too late for me… I already miss you…’</em> Siyeon says, but Bora can't hear her anymore.</p>
<p>Soon banging is heard on the door, and the two hear their next-door neighbors.</p>
<p>“Bora? Siyeon? It's Minji! Is everything alright?” they hear through the door, and Bora carefully and gently sets siyeon’s head back down and runs to the door.</p>
<p>As Bora rips the door open, Minji and Yoohyeon look at the smaller girl in shock. Her eyes are swollen and red, and blood is covering her hands and clothes.</p>
<p>“please… call help! Its Siyeon, I think she’s, she’s dead…” Bora managed to squeak out as her knees gave out. Without hesitation Yoohyeon pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance. As Yoohyeon was on the phone, Minji helped Bora up and Bora led Minji over to Siyeon.</p>
<p>“Please, tell me she's not dead?” Bora asked in a shaky tone. Minji’s eyes went wide at the sight of siyeon’s body.</p>
<p>“oh my god… Bora, I'm sorry… I think it’s too late…” Minji says as Bora starts to lose it. Minji does the only thing she can do and holds the crying girl until the paramedics arrive.</p>
<p>It had been several minutes, and the police questioned the three girls. Due to the blood all over Bora, they automatically started to suspect Bora, but Minji clarified that she and Bora had both been out at a reunion, and they both entered the building at the same time. Yoohyeon was also cleared because she had worked late and only got home an hour or two before Minji and Bora, and Siyeon had already been dead by then.</p>
<p>After a couple of minutes, the police were able to check the CCTV in front of their apartments to confirm it, but the CCTV for their hallway was broken right before the incident. Bora, Minji, and Yoohyeon were cleared, but it didn’t make Bora feel any better. It didn’t change the fact that Siyeon was gone. Bora was now alone.</p>
<p>It was Minji that was holding Bora and tried to stop her from reaching the stretcher, but Yoohyeon told her to let her be.</p>
<p>“she needs to say goodbye…” Yoohyeon said as she held her girlfriend. The two watched Bora with tears in their eyes. After several minutes the two girls go to walk over to Bora and try to lead her away when they notice Bora stagger, and Minji just barely catches Bora before she hits the ground.</p>
<p>“Is she alright?” Yoohyeon asks Minji, and Minji shakes her head.</p>
<p>“would you be ok with this?” Minji says as she waves her hand around. “it seems she's in shock and fainted. It must have finally been too much for her…” Minji says as the paramedics rushed over to help Bora.</p>
<p>“no, no, I wouldn’t…” Yoohyeon says as she hugs Minji strongly and snuggles into her neck as she starts crying.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Two days later-</p>
<p>Bora slowly starts to wake up as she looks around what looks like a hospital room with blurry eyes. She's confused and can't remember how she got here. The last thing she remembers is… Siyeon…</p>
<p>Bora sits up quickly in bed and looks around. Minji and Yoohyeon are asleep on the couch in the big hospital room.</p>
<p>“Bora?” Yoohyeon asks as she looks up with sleepy eyes as she realizes that the girl is finally awake. “MINJI! Boras awake!” Yoohyeon shouts as she shakes Minji awake.</p>
<p>Minji quickly gets up and walks over to Bora. “you're finally awake! I will let my father know!” Minji says as she goes to turn and run out of the room when Bora grabs her hand.</p>
<p>“Please, tell me it’s not true? Siyeon?” Bora pleads with teary eyes, and Minji can only shake her head sadly and pat boras hand.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, Bora. Siyeon’s gone…” Minji said as she fought back tears. “it was too late when they got there. She, she had been gone for a while…” Minji says as Bora drops Minji’s hand in shock. “I will go get my father. I will be right back, Bora. Ok?” Minji asked softly, and Bora could only nod.</p>
<p>Minji shot a look to Yoohyeon, and the younger girl nodded and walked over to Bora and tried to comfort her.</p>
<p>After Minji’s father came in and checked on Bora’s condition, they filled her in on everything that happened while she was unconscious. Siyeon’s parents and sister were informed, and they decided to wait on the funeral until after Bora wakes up. They knew that it would kill Bora if she lost the chance to say goodbye.</p>
<p>After waking up, everything seemed like a blur. Minji and Yoohyeon decided to give Bora a couple minutes alone, and Bora slowly walked towards the bathroom. Siyeon followed the smaller girl and walked through the closed door to see Bora crying while looking into the mirror.</p>
<p>“Siyeon, I'm so sorry! I should have never gone! If I hadn’t left, you might still be alive!” Bora cried as her shoulders shook violently as her grief took over.</p>
<p>‘<em>it's not your fault, Bora. I don’t think you could have stopped this. It was only a matter of time…’</em> Siyeon said as she tried to wrap her arms around Bora.</p>
<p>Bora looks up quickly as she catches a small glimpse of Siyeon in the mirror. She was able to faintly hear siyeon’s words and feel her touch before it vanished.</p>
<p>“Siyeon?!” Bora shouted as she spun around, but there was nothing there. “Siyeon?” Bora calls weakly, but she hears nothing, and she kneels down to hug her knees and cry. <em>‘I know I heard her, I even saw her! Even though it was only for a brief second. And I keep feeling like I can almost feel her around me...’</em> Bora thought to herself as she continued to cry.</p>
<p>‘<em>am I losing it?</em>’ Bora asks herself. <em>‘I don’t care if I am, as long as I can still see and hear Siyeon even one more time…</em>’ Bora thought to herself as the tears took over again. She decided to keep this a secret from Minji and Yoohyeon. She didn’t want them thinking she was crazy and not let her go to siyeon’s funeral.</p>
<p>Now that Bora was awake, they held siyeon’s funeral. It lasted several days, and during that time, Bora stayed at siyeon’s memorial and never left until it was over. Yoohyeon and Minji tried to keep her company, but they couldn’t manage to get the smaller girl to eat. Bora’s grief was still strong.</p>
<p>As time went on, she could swear that she continued to see glimpses of Siyeon in mirrors or anything reflective. It would only be for a split second, but Bora was sure that it was really her. When she would fall asleep from exhaustion, she would feel someone holding her hand, but no one was there. ‘<em>It has to be Siyeon. She is still here, but why? Does she blame me? Does she think it's my fault for leaving her that night?’</em> Bora thought to herself, but it was far from the truth.</p>
<p>Siyeon couldn’t move on because she couldn’t bear to leave Bora in such grief. She couldn’t leave until she knew Bora would be ok without her and she wished to tell Bora how much she loved her one last time. But Siyeon was the love of boras life, her soulmate. Bora would never be okay without her.</p>
<p>Siyeon’s funeral had ended. Gahyeon, siyeon’s sister, and her girlfriend Dami had attended the funeral, and Gahyeon tried to comfort Bora, but the dancer was still in shock and felt numb. Bora would try to smile, but everyone could tell it didn’t touch her eyes. Even the other next-door neighbor of Bora and Siyeon showed up.</p>
<p>Her name was Handong, and she didn’t talk or interact much. The girl was extremely shy, and Korean wasn’t her native language, so she was always afraid of slipping up and making mistakes, but she made sure to come to siyeon’s funeral and say goodbye to the neighbor that always treated her kindly even though she seemed unfriendly due to her shyness.</p>
<p>Now that the funeral was over, Bora had to return to her apartment. Their apartment, but Siyeon wouldn’t be there. She would never be there again, and the crushing feeling of loneliness settled on Bora, and her breath caught in a silent sob.</p>
<p>Minji and Yoohyeon drove Bora home after the police gave them the ok and promised that the apartment had been cleaned up. As Bora stood at the door with her hand frozen on the door handle, Minji rested her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.</p>
<p>“you know, you don’t have to go in yet. If you’re not ready, you can stay at our place until you decide you're ready…” Minji said, and Yoohyeon nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“We have a spare room, and you're always welcome just in case it gets to be too much for you. Your welcome at any time.” Yoohyeon said as she looked at Bora with her trademark kind eyes. Bora smiled weakly as she shook her head.</p>
<p>“I'm ok, I think I need to do this…” Bora said nervously, and the two taller girls nodded and walked to their door. “just knock, ok? At any time.” Minji said, and Bora smiled weakly and finally turned the doorknob and entered her apartment.</p>
<p>Whoever cleaned up her apartment did a good job, they even tried to replace the objects that were broken, Bora suspected that that was Minji’s doing. To try to make it easier on her. But nothing could stop the loneliness from creeping into her chest.</p>
<p>Bora kicked off her shoes, and clumsily walked into their bedroom. Slowly Bora walked around the bed while her fingers gently brushed the covers. They smelled like Siyeon, and it made her heart ache furiously, but it also made her smile. As she got to siyeon’s side of the bed she gently started touching every item that belonged to Siyeon. Like she was trying to say goodbye to each and every item.</p>
<p>Soon boras eyes flicked to the desk by the window that Siyeon would sit at and write in her journal. The journal was a gift that Bora had gotten for Siyeon about a month ago.</p>
<p>The taller girl had been drooling over it every time they would pass this old antique shop in their neighborhood. The book looked very old and was leather-bound, but the pages were a crisp cream. The pages looked too new to be a true antique, but that made Siyeon want it more. She had never wanted a journal before, but something about it drew her in.</p>
<p>Bora teased her for wanting it, and when Siyeon went off to sulk, Bora quickly went in and purchased the book and gifted it to her that night. It was something very precious to Siyeon, and Bora couldn’t help but run her fingers over the leather cover.</p>
<p><em>‘oh, no…’</em> Siyeon said as she watched boras eyes lock on her journal. <em>‘please don’t read it, I don’t want you to get hurt…’</em> Siyeon pleaded to herself, but Bora flopped into the chair at siyeon’s desk and slowly ran her fingers over the cover while fighting back her tears.</p>
<p>Slowly Bora opened the journal and started to read.</p>
<p>Day one!</p>
<p>Bora actually got me the journal that I wanted! I love this book so much. Not as much as I love Bora, though. Nothing is bigger than my love for Bora! &lt;3</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It read, and Bora started crying as she ran her fingertips over siyeon’s beautiful writing.</p>
<p>As she read, day five caught her attention.</p>
<p>Day five!</p>
<p>I think that someone is following me. I'm not sure if it’s all in my head, but when I left the coffee shop for the last couple of days, I have caught glimpses of the same person in all black. When I look at them, they will never make eye contact and speed walk away. Am I just being paranoid?</p>
<p>Bora's eyes went wide as she read the entry and started to quickly read more. Siyeon had continued mentioning someone following her. But when she read day seven, boras heart broke, and she felt sick to her stomach.</p>
<p>Day seven.</p>
<p>I tried to tell Bora that I'm being followed. She didn’t believe me. She said I'm just being paranoid. Am I? Probably. I'm such a fool. Who would actually stalk me? I'm nothing special…</p>
<p>Bora remembered this conversation vaguely. Siyeon was pouting when she told her that she was just paranoid, and Bora regretted it. Maybe Siyeon was right. Maybe her stalker was her killer. Actually, he had to be. Bora felt horrible, if only she had listened, they might have been able to stop him before things got so out of hand and it hurt Bora to hear Siyeon talking so badly about herself.</p>
<p>Bora kept reading.</p>
<p>Day fourteen…</p>
<p>I have given up on trying to convince Bora that someone is really following me. But he scares me. If it is a HE. I don’t even know. I feel so jumpy all the time! Like he will be around any corner! I don’t even feel comfortable going to the grocery store anymore! But I can't tell Bora that. She works so hard, and I don’t want her thinking that I'm a coward. You can work through this, Siyeon! For Bora!</p>
<p>Bora could tell by siyeon’s handwriting that Siyeon was more and more stressed as the entries went on.  The perfect penmanship started getting sloppy and looked like it was written fast.</p>
<p>“How could I have been so blind!” Bora cried aloud as Siyeon watched, helpless. “she was hurting this much! She couldn’t even feel like she could trust me to tell me for fear that I wouldn’t believe her! I SHOULD have believed her! I shouldn’t have just blown it off...” Bora said weakly as she sobbed.</p>
<p>After a couple minutes, Bora gained some of her composure back and tried to continue reading.</p>
<p>Day twenty-one…</p>
<p>I don’t even know why I'm still writing this. Maybe for a record of me just in case anything happens to me. I'm pretty sure something WILL happen to me now. I see him everywhere when I go out. I have tried varying my schedule, but it's like he just knows and is there. I'm sure it's him due to his same outfit. It NEVER changes.</p>
<p>I debated trying to tell Bora again, but I just can't. I don’t want her to think I'm crazy, and I'm starting to think I really am going crazy. What if this guy is all in my head? Should I seek help?</p>
<p>“no baby, you weren’t crazy, I should have believed you. I'm so sorry!” Bora said aloud as she looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes while trying to fight back her tears. “it’s all my fault…” Bora sobbed, and Siyeon tried to comfort her. Gently Siyeon tried to run her hand along boras arm. At siyeon’s touch, chills ran down boras arm, and her head snapped up.</p>
<p>“Siyeon?” Bora asked softly and looked at the small mirror that was on siyeon’s desk. For a couple of seconds Bora could swear she could see Siyeon standing behind her gently rubbing her arm with a teary expression. Bora stared at the mirror unblinking, and Siyeon continued to be there. But once boras eyes burned and she blinked, Siyeon was gone. But the feeling on her arm was still there.</p>
<p>“Siyeon! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me…” Bora called out, and when she looked around, she noticed their reflection on the window. Bora refused to blink, and she watched as Siyeon nodded and mouthed ‘I love you.’ At the sight of that Bora’s eyes burned with tears, and Bora choked out a soft I love you too.</p>
<p>Siyeon was in shock that Bora was able to see her, even if it was for short glimpses. At least she was able to tell Bora that she loved her one last time.</p>
<p>Bora started reading again as she got to the last entry.</p>
<p>Day twenty-eight…</p>
<p>Bora has some reunion today. I'm afraid to even be alone now. Should I ask her not to go? No. that would be selfish. I don’t want to make her miserable just for my happiness… I can deal with being without her for a couple of hours, right? God, I hope so… but just in case…</p>
<p>Bora, I love you so much. I just want you to know that. And if anything happens to me, it’s not anyone's fault. If something does happen. Please tell my sister I love her and even her dorky girlfriend. Tell my parents I love them too, please? Hopefully this is all in my head, and you will never have to read this. But just in case, you were the best thing to happen in my life, and even if something happens to me, I wouldn’t change a thing if it meant not being with you. I love you, Bora. So much.</p>
<p>Bora completely lost it at the last entry and cried loudly as she clutched siyeon’s journal to her chest. Soon in a mad panic Bora grabbed siyeon’s pen and crossed out several entries and started to write her own.</p>
<p>Siyeon, I'm so sorry, I love you too. It’s like time is frozen here without you Everything is so empty, I feel completely empty without you. I swear that I can feel you sometimes. I can see you out of the corners of my eyes. I wish I could change this! I wish I could go back! I wish I could rewrite all of this! Where you're alive and don’t have to pretend to be ok for fear I won't believe you! I'm so sorry Siyeon. Please, I wish I could go back… I wish I could make everything right…</p>
<p>Bora wrote as her tears hit her writing and blurred the words. She remained there while clutching siyeon’s journal to her chest until she cried herself to sleep to the gentle chills of Siyeon trying to comfort her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora wakes up in her bed. The soft sheets made her feel warm and protected. But quickly her memories flood back. Siyeon…</p>
<p>Bora goes to bring her hand to her face to cover her eyes when she almost smashed siyeon’s journal into her face.</p>
<p>“why?” Bora said aloud, and she felt someone stirring beside her. Bora jumped and dropped the journal onto the ground as she spun around in her bed and locked eyes with… Siyeon.</p>
<p>“Siyeon!?” Bora screamed, and Siyeon covered her ears as she looked at her girlfriend with a sleepy look.</p>
<p>“of course, it's me! Who else would you wake up in bed with?” Siyeon said teasingly before her eyes softened. “had another nightmare?” Siyeon asked, and Bora just flopped back in shock. Siyeon was safe and sound right beside her.</p>
<p>“maybe it WAS just a dream…” Bora muttered, and Siyeon giggled and snuggled against Bora and kissed her cheek before getting out of bed to go to the bathroom.</p>
<p><em>‘wait, why did I wake up with siyeon’s journal?’</em> Bora asked herself, and she looked down to the floor where it dropped, and her eyes went wide.</p>
<p>There it sat, open. and she could see the entries that Siyeon wrote crossed out and where Bora had rewritten her last entry.</p>
<p>Bora's head started spinning as she leaned down to pick up the book. Soon curiosity got the better of her and Bora looked over to siyeon’s desk. There was siyeon’s journal, then what was Bora holding? Quickly Bora looked for her phone and found it. When Bora checked the date, she couldn’t believe it. It is exactly seven days before siyeon’s murder.</p>
<p>“I got another chance…” Bora whispered in shock. “I can change this… I WILL change this…” Bora said with a determined expression as she looked at the journal with a determined stare.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Second Chance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Bora was still sitting on the bed, holding her phone in shock. November 22<sup>nd</sup>. Exactly seven days before siyeon’s murder…</p>
<p> Bora’s head was spinning as she tried to wrap her head around what was happening. How could there be two journals? Bora thought to herself as she remembered the last week. How she remembered holding siyeon’s lifeless body in her arms as Siyeon stared blankly upward. Chills ran down Bora’s spine at the image that seemed burned into her mind.</p>
<p> <em>‘how is this even possible?</em>’ Bora asked herself as she leaned forward and put her face in her hands. Everything was so overwhelming right now.</p>
<p>Soon Bora heard the bathroom door open as Siyeon stepped out and smiled sweetly at her. “aren’t you going to get ready for work?” Siyeon asked, and Bora stared at her blankly. After siyeon’s death, she had completely forgotten about work. Luckily her boss was a friend and knew that Bora needed time to mourn, but Bora didn’t want to leave Siyeon.</p>
<p><em>‘not after I just lost her…’</em> Bora said as she shook the images of siyeon’s blank and lifeless stare as she rested in the body bag on the stretcher from her mind. Siyeon looked at Bora with a worried expression. The smaller girl had been acting weird all morning, and it worried Siyeon greatly.</p>
<p>“baby? Are you ok?” Siyeon asks softly as she walks over and sits beside Bora. The familiar feeling of Siyeon rubbing her back to comfort her made Bora remember the faint touches she felt from Siyeon after she passed. Bora let out a choked sob startling Siyeon as she looked at her girlfriend with a genuinely worried expression.</p>
<p>Siyeon enveloped Bora in a comforting hug and let Bora cry as she stroked Bora’s head and slowly rubbed her back. Siyeon didn’t ask what was bothering Bora. She knew that if Bora were going to tell her, she would do it later. Right now, what Bora needed was the comfort, and Siyeon gladly gave it as she hugged Bora gently.</p>
<p>As Bora’s sobs started to soften, Siyeon rocked her back and forth and kissed Bora’s cheek sweetly while she whispered soft words to comfort the smaller girl.</p>
<p>Bora had her head in the crook of siyeon’s neck and breathed in siyeon’s scent as she tried to calm down. She remembered how empty the house was without Siyeon there and how she missed even the little things the younger girl would do.</p>
<p>A simple smile as she would look at Bora with so much love that Bora could just feel it. How Siyeon would come home late from work and just want to cuddle with Bora until she drifted off to sleep. How Siyeon would look like an adorable baby when she would eat and stuff her cheeks and make Bora want to pinch those cute chubby cheeks.</p>
<p> <em>‘seven days… I have seven days to change this. To fix this… I won't fail Siyeon again.</em>’ Bora thought to herself as she hugged Siyeon tightly. She was afraid of letting Siyeon go. That if she did, Siyeon would be ripped from her life again, and the thought terrified her.</p>
<p><em>‘I can change this, I know I can…’</em> Bora thought determinedly as she finally got control of her tears and leaned back to look at siyeon’s beautiful and worried eyes.</p>
<p>Siyeon gently wiped Bora’s tears away and kissed away the trails of tears left behind, causing a faint smile on Bora’s lips.</p>
<p>“feel better?” Siyeon asked as she looked at Bora with concern, and Bora nodded. Siyeon gave one last hug and rubbed Bora’s back before standing up and offering Bora her hand.</p>
<p>“come on, let's get some breakfast before you have to go to work,” Siyeon said as she smiled lovingly, and Bora grasped siyeon’s hand as Siyeon helped Bora off of the bed.</p>
<p>The two were sitting at the bar of their kitchen and ate in silence, but Siyeon held Bora’s hand as she rubbed the back of Bora’s hand with her thumb to comfort the smaller girl all throughout breakfast, and Bora loved how caring and sweet Siyeon was with her. How understanding the younger girl always was with her no matter what.</p>
<p>But Bora remembered siyeon’s journal. <em>‘how can she be so sweet to me and comfort me like this? I should be the one to comfort her! I know she's hurting because I'm the one that hurt her. Siyeon is hurting because of me. Because I was too stupid to believe her…’</em> Bora thought to herself and was snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Siyeon was talking to her.</p>
<p>“huh?” Bora asked, and Siyeon rolled her eyes jokingly and smiled as she poked the smaller girl's side, causing Bora to jump in her seat and pout.</p>
<p>“I said you're going to be late for work!” Siyeon teased, and Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“I want to skip and spend all day with you, just like in high school,” Bora said as she smiled at Siyeon, and Bora's favorite smile played across siyeon’s lips as she smiled excitedly.</p>
<p>The two haven’t been able to spend much time together lately because Bora’s dance studio is preparing for a competition, and Bora was their main dancer, so Siyeon missed Bora severely these last weeks. In fact, the night of the reunion was supposed to be their first real alone time in weeks. But Bora now knew that it didn’t really end well, did it?</p>
<p>Remembering that made Bora feel even more horrible. ‘<em>I really am such a horrible girlfriend…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she watched Siyeon smiling happily.</p>
<p>“so, what do you want to do today?” Bora asked after she finished messaging her boss that something came up today. Siyeon thought to herself, but couldn’t think of anything.</p>
<p>“how about we go to the coffee shop you like to go to… or go see a movie?” Bora asked, and she didn’t miss the panic that flashed briefly across siyeon’s face at the mention of leaving the house, and it broke Bora’s heart.</p>
<p><em>‘How could I have missed this. Her fear shows all over her body…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she watched Siyeon suddenly start to fidget uncomfortably and pinched her hand nervously. It was something that Siyeon did without noticing, but it was always a red flag to Bora that the younger girl was either nervous or worried about something.</p>
<p>“or we could stay in, order takeout and snuggle on the couch and watch movies?” Bora asked, and Siyeon nodded with a smile of relief on her face as the tension she had been holding released and siyeon’s shoulders relaxed. ‘<em>she really is terrified to go outside, isn’t she?’</em> Bora thought to herself as she hugged Siyeon abruptly, startling the younger girl.</p>
<p>Siyeon giggled in surprise at Bora’s sudden clinginess and smiled. “if this is what a nightmare does to you, sorry to say it, but I wish you have more!” Siyeon teased, but Bora shook her head fiercely.</p>
<p>“no, I dreamed that I lost you... I don’t want to dream that ever again…” Bora said as she hugged Siyeon tighter.</p>
<p><em>‘so that’s what this is about…’</em> Siyeon thought to herself as she smiled and kissed the top of Bora’s head. <em>‘how cute!’</em> Siyeon thought as she squeezed Bora back and led her over to the couch.</p>
<p>All day they snuggled and kissed and just enjoyed each other's presence while watching movies in each other's arms. Bora decided that she would stay with Siyeon all week. ‘<em>If I don't leave siyeon’s side all week, I can protect her!’</em> Bora thought. Or at least that was the plan…</p>
<p>It was around 10:30pm, and Siyeon was sound asleep on the couch, giving Bora the opportunity to check the journal once more.</p>
<p>As Bora walked into the room and went to where she hid the journal, she started to feel nervous. Cautiously Bora flipped through the pages as she looked back at the entries. Bora froze when she noticed something.</p>
<p>Bora had crossed out all of the last weeks, making siyeon’s last entry that was untouched yesterday. Did Bora’s crossing out the days allow her to go back in time? Bora quickly grabbed a pen and tried to test it, but when the pen touched the paper, it wouldn’t write. Bora frantically searched for more pens, and every single one wouldn’t write in the journal.</p>
<p><em>‘if I had known that was the key, I would have crossed out more days to give myself more time…”</em> Bora thought to herself and decided to check the blank pages to see if something was hidden between the pages when she noticed something strange.</p>
<p>“pages are missing from the back of the journal…” Bora said aloud and tried to count the missing pages.</p>
<p>Seven. Bora wondered why pages were suddenly missing when it was untouched the night before and shook her head in confusion. It was just too confusing for Bora to figure out right now. She was starting to feel overwhelmed.</p>
<p>“Alright, to fix this, I need to let Siyeon know I believe her and stay beside her to protect her!” Bora whispered under her breath as she closed the journal and tucked it under the mattress just in time as Siyeon walked into the room with a sleepy expression.</p>
<p>“where were you? I woke up all alone…” Siyeon said cutely with a pout that made Bora’s chest squeeze. God Bora loved this woman.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, I was going to come to get you for bed in a second,” Bora said as she smiled sweetly. Siyeon mock stomped over to Bora with a pout, and her arms wide for a hug, and Bora chuckled at the cuteness as she gave Siyeon a tight hug.</p>
<p><em>‘if only her coworkers saw her like this, they wouldn’t think she is so fierce!’</em> Bora thought to herself as she smiled and kissed Siyeon sweetly and led her to the bed. <em>‘my beautiful rocker girl!</em>’ Bora thought with pride as she giggled and pulled Siyeon with her so that they flopped onto the bed with Siyeon on top of Bora.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That night, Bora made sure that Siyeon knew she was cherished as they made love all night. Bora made sure that she was very attentive to Siyeon, and the younger girl had never had a night like that before. And that says something because nights with Bora were always wild.</p>
<p> By morning the two were exhausted as they snuggled comfortably in each other's arms. And when morning came, they both weren’t ready.</p>
<p>“ugh, why is the sun so fucking bright!” Bora shouted as she pulled her pillow over her face. Bora tried to say something else, but the pillow muffled her words causing Siyeon to giggle and lift the pillow from her lover's face.</p>
<p>Siyeon looked at Bora’s face lovingly as she gently leaned down and kissed her softly on her pouting lips.</p>
<p>“well, good morning to you too!” Siyeon teased as Bora pouted more and snuggled closer to Siyeon.</p>
<p>“When do you work next?” Bora asked as she leaned back to squint at Siyeon with sleepy eyes. Causing Siyeon to giggle.</p>
<p>“our next performance is on Sunday, why?” Siyeon answered, and Bora snuggled closer and rested her head on siyeon’s chest.</p>
<p>“good, because I asked for the whole week off to spend more time with you…” Bora said, and Siyeon looked down at Bora with a startled expression.</p>
<p>“YOU asked for a vacation. THE Kim Bora asked for time off?” Siyeon teased as Bora pouted and smacked her shoulder softly.</p>
<p>“yes, I, THE Kim Bora asked for time off to spend with my beautiful girlfriend who I have been neglecting lately,” Bora said with a smile as she leaned over and kissed siyeon’s collarbone and snuggled against her neck.</p>
<p>“well… if that’s the case, let's stay in bed all day! Its only Thursday anyway!” Siyeon teased as she winked and pulled the covers over both of their heads, causing Bora to laugh loudly.</p>
<p>After a couple of hours of the two snuggling with each other, Bora finally decided to approach the subject of siyeon’s stalker.</p>
<p>Bora had her arms wrapped around siyeon’s waist and pulled the younger girl closer to build up her courage.</p>
<p>“babe?” Bora asked softly, and Siyeon hummed a groggy response at her. “remember when you told me you felt like you were being followed? Do you still feel that way?” Bora asked, and she felt Siyeon stiffen against her.</p>
<p>“no… You were right. I was just being paranoid.” Siyeon said in a flat voice as she tried to mask her worries, and Bora felt horrible.</p>
<p>“one of my coworkers told me a story about how someone they knew was stalked, no one believed her until something really bad happened. It made me remember you telling me that. Promise me if you still feel you're being followed, that you will tell me? Please?” Bora said, and Siyeon nodded before rolling over to face Bora. The younger girl wrapped her arms around Bora and snuggled into her for comfort.</p>
<p>“do you promise?” Bora asked as she stroked siyeon’s hair, and Siyeon looked into Bora’s eyes and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.</p>
<p>Bora could tell that Siyeon was struggling with herself. Should she tell Bora? Or would she think that she was crazy? Siyeon didn’t want Bora to leave her because of this and decided to keep silent as she hugged Bora fiercely and hid her face against the smaller girl's chest.</p>
<p><em>‘I just can't do it. I just can't tell you… I'm so sorry, Bora. It's not that I don’t trust you. I'm just afraid of what you will think of me If I'm wrong…and… I'm also afraid of being right. What if I tell you and you get hurt because of me? I would never forgive myself…’</em> Siyeon thought to herself, and Bora knew that the younger woman wasn’t ready to tell her yet.</p>
<p><em>‘it's ok, we have six more days left for me to prove you can trust me again…</em>’ Bora thought to herself as she hugged Siyeon once more and rested her head against siyeon’s chest and rubbed her back soothingly.</p>
<p>Because Bora was able to take off all week, siyeon’s schedule changed. Instead of Siyeon going to the coffee shop every morning and unwinding with a cup of coffee before starting her day, then running the small errands she would normally complete, she was staying home. Bora didn’t want to make Siyeon uncomfortable, so they stayed home and just enjoyed their time together, and both Siyeon and Bora were extremely happy.</p>
<p>But what they didn’t know was that Bora’s change to siyeon’s schedule had set changes in motion that both girls couldn’t anticipate.</p>
<p>It was now Saturday, and Bora had just fixed an amazing breakfast for Siyeon and set it in front of the younger girl. “you're spoiling me, you know that, right?” Siyeon teased, and Bora just chuckled.</p>
<p>“you deserve all of it and even more!” Bora said as she winked at Siyeon teasingly.</p>
<p>“but what am I going to do when you go back to work?” Siyeon said as she pouted. “I'm getting used to this…” she said again with her lip jutted out in a pout that Bora was unable to resist.</p>
<p>Bora walked over and hugged the younger girl and kissed the tip of her nose, causing Siyeon to scrunch her nose cutely. Bora laughed at her expression and smiled.</p>
<p>“I wish we could be like this forever. It showed me that I don’t spend enough time with you. I'm going to try to cut down my hours at the dance studio. I don’t like you having to be alone all of the time. Especially when I get home so late. I know I don’t like being alone, and I feel bad for always leaving you alone by yourself…” Bora said as she smiled apologetically to Siyeon.</p>
<p>“Seriously, what's gotten into you? I'm not complaining, but what made you decide this?” Siyeon asked as she looked at Bora with interest. Siyeon WAS feeling extremely lonely, but she was afraid to ask Bora to spend more time with her.</p>
<p>Siyeon knew that Bora’s career meant everything to her, and Siyeon just couldn’t bear to ask her to cut down on her hours just because she was lonely and honestly a little scared to be alone in the house now.</p>
<p>When Siyeon was alone, every noise and creak made her panic. What if he got in? What if he is watching her? All of these thoughts ran through siyeon’s mind, and she tried her best to push them aside, but it was just too difficult.</p>
<p>“was it that nightmare?” Siyeon asked, and Bora flinched. Bora couldn’t tell her it wasn’t a dream but really happened, could she? What if she did, and it messed up her chance to fix everything? Bora couldn’t risk it and sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair.</p>
<p>“Yeah… well, kinda? It's more like a mix of both the nightmare and the story they were talking about at work. It… the dream just felt so real, you know? It made me think of losing you, and I just couldn’t take that idea…” Bora said softly, and Siyeon smiled.</p>
<p>Bora looked so cute when she got all shy and nervous when she would share her honest feelings. It made Siyeon want to tell Bora that she wasn’t going anywhere, that everything was going to be fine, but she just couldn’t. Siyeon didn’t want to lie to Bora, and the smaller girl noticed that Siyeon didn’t try to reassure her, and she also didn’t miss siyeon’s sad expression.</p>
<p><em>‘She knows that something will probably happen to her, doesn’t she?’</em> Bora thought to herself as she realized that it was almost like Siyeon was anticipating her own death. Her murder. Bora wanted to hear Siyeon tell her that everything was going to be alright. That she was safe and no one would take her away from Bora, but both girls knew that would be a lie.</p>
<p>Instead of saying the words that would turn out to be lies, Siyeon held Bora in her arms and tried to comfort her as well as comforting herself and her anxiety. Siyeon’s chest lately always felt tight with anxiety, and some days she wondered if she would stress herself into a heart attack or stroke.</p>
<p>After lunch, Bora and Siyeon started talking about siyeon’s performance tomorrow. Bora tried to convince Siyeon to cancel it, but it was the only time Siyeon didn’t feel afraid, and she would never cancel it.</p>
<p>When Siyeon performed, nothing else mattered, and she felt free. No fears of stalkers, no everyday worries, just her singing until her heart felt lighter. Siyeon couldn’t cancel it, and Bora finally relented.</p>
<p>“fine… but I'm going with you!” Bora said as she sulked. Siyeon’s eyes lit up at hearing that Bora would finally be going to one of her performances and nodded excitedly.</p>
<p>Bora hated going to one of siyeon’s shows because even though it was just a small band and Siyeon would play at small venues, most of her fans would always post really sexual comments and circulate clips of her performances talking about what they would do with her, and it always made Bora upset, well mainly jealous.</p>
<p>Of course, she knew that she was a hypocrite because Siyeon felt the same way every time the studio would post one of their dance videos. Bora always got the very sexy parts, and the comments from Bora’s fans weren't any better.</p>
<p>Bora felt bad seeing how excited Siyeon looked at the mention of her finally going to one of her shows. <em>‘even if I don’t like it, I still should have gone more to show Siyeon my support. I love listening to Siyeon sing, so why did I never go before? Why didn’t I realize this before? Whatever force allowed me to have a second chance, thank you for letting me fix my mistakes…’</em> Bora thought to herself as Siyeon talked excitedly and started planning everything.</p>
<p>When Sunday finally arrived, Bora went with Siyeon to her favorite coffee shop where they were greeted warmly by the staff that recognized Siyeon, and then the couple went to siyeon’s practice room for her band. All morning Bora watched Siyeon practice with and without her band.</p>
<p>At lunch, the two were alone while everyone else went out to eat, and Siyeon got Bora to sing for her. It was rare because Bora had decided to give up singing and focus only on dancing after the two failed their auditions in high school. Bora always wondered if they had instead gone to the audition from that smaller company instead of both going to one of the big three auditions, would they have made it? ‘<em>What was it called again? Hapyface something?</em>’ Bora thought to herself as she imagined being able to perform on stage with Siyeon for a living.</p>
<p>Siyeon loved every minute of Bora’s singing. After a while, the couple was singing duets when her band came back in teasing them that the two should do a duet tonight. Bora refused at first, but seeing Siyeon release the puppy eyes that Siyeon had learned from their neighbor Yoohyeon, Bora conceded.</p>
<p>“fine…” Bora sighed as she pouted. Siyeon cheered and hopped around gleefully.</p>
<p>“Yay! I'm going to message Minji and Yoohyeon to come by tonight!” Siyeon said excitedly as she pulled out her cell.</p>
<p>Siyeon’s mood suddenly darkened as her phone buzzed. “what's wrong?” Bora asked as Siyeon looked at her phone with a worried and confused look.</p>
<p>“oh, nothing. Just spam. For a second, I thought it was something important.” Siyeon said as she quickly messaged Minji and stuffed her phone back in her pocket.</p>
<p>Siyeon’s mood had darkened after lunch, and Bora could swear that she could hear siyeon’s phone go off in her pocket, and every time it did, the singer would flinch. ‘<em>somethings not right…</em>’ Bora thought to herself worriedly as she watched siyeon’s nerves fraying more and more as the day went on.</p>
<p><em>‘I need to get a look at her phone…’ </em>Bora thought to herself as she looked at the clock. They didn’t have much time before the performance. Luckily, Siyeon would have to get changed soon, and it gave an opportunity for Bora to see what was upsetting Siyeon so much.</p>
<p>Siyeon set her phone, purse, and jacket on one of the chairs in the practice room and walked out to get changed. Soon her bandmates followed her, starting to get ready as well.</p>
<p>As soon as the door slid closed, Bora bolted and quickly unlocked siyeon’s phone. As she pulled up siyeon’s text messages, her eyes went wide with shock, and chills ran down her spine.</p>
<p>UNKNOWN</p>
<p>Did you miss me?</p>
<p>How could you bring someone else to OUR spot?</p>
<p>You looked so beautiful across the street.</p>
<p>Why won't you answer me?</p>
<p>ANSWER ME!!!</p>
<p>Answer me, or you and your slut girlfriend will pay…</p>
<p>“what the hell?” Bora said to herself. She tried to remember what the police had told her. She was sure that they never mentioned any odd or threatening messages. So, what caused this change?</p>
<p>“Did I cause this?” Bora said aloud when the phone dinged again.</p>
<p>UNKNOWN</p>
<p>You avoid me for DAYS and now show up with that slut dancer? You think you can do this to me? You think I will let this pass?</p>
<p><em>‘Shit… I think I fucked up.’</em> Bora thought to herself as she started to panic. “there's still a couple more days left, Bora. You can fix this…” Bora whispered, and soon she heard Siyeon coming closer.</p>
<p>“shit!” Bora whispered as she panicked and put siyeon’s phone back down quickly and tried to calm her face so that Siyeon wouldn’t worry when she reentered the room.</p>
<p><em>‘I can't let that bastard ruin tonight. Tonight is all about Siyeon…’</em> Bora thought as she hugged Siyeon and got a good look at her.</p>
<p>Siyeon was wearing black jeans that were shredded, and a white tee with the leather jacket Bora got for her on their first anniversary. Bora smiled as she noticed it, and Siyeon blushed.</p>
<p>“what? It's like my good luck charm!” Siyeon said as Bora hugged her fiercely and pulled her in for a kiss. They kissed like It could be their last, and it honestly felt like it may be with the aggression in those text messages.</p>
<p><em>‘I won't leave your side, I promise to protect you.’</em> Bora thought to herself as she looked lovingly at Siyeon. <em>‘even if it means It's me you see in the mirrors…’</em> Bora thought sadly. The image of Siyeon crying while mouthing her last ghostly ‘I love you’ still haunted Bora.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m okay with dying if it means you are safe.’</em> Bora promised, and soon they left for the concert.</p>
<p>Minji and Yoohyeon showed up at the concert like Siyeon had wished, and it was a big hit. Right near the end, Siyeon pulled Bora up on stage, and they sang the last song of the night together. Everyone loved it, and Siyeon looked extremely happy to be able to share something she loved so much with Bora, and Bora had to admit, she missed singing a bit.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon and Minji walked with them back home and were raving about the performances, and the group was so happy and enjoying the moment that they didn’t notice that someone was following them. Once they arrived home, Minji and Yoohyeon said goodnight and split off to walk down to get food at a diner down the street, and Siyeon and Bora smiled as they walked into their apartment building.</p>
<p>As Siyeon and Bora walked out of the elevator, Siyeon spotted their other neighbor and decided to say hi.</p>
<p>“oh! Handong! Have a good night!” Siyeon said as she waved at the shy girl that nodded and ducked back into her apartment.</p>
<p>“she never talks to anyone…” Bora said as she watched Handong enter the apartment quickly. ‘in fact, where was she the night Siyeon was murdered?’ Bora wondered curiously as she followed Siyeon.</p>
<p>“Be nice!” Siyeon said as she elbowed her girlfriend. “she’s from china and isn’t comfortable talking in Korean. That’s why I say hi to her but never expect her to say something back. I don’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already is.” Siyeon said, and Bora suddenly remembered siyeon’s funeral.</p>
<p>The shy girl had attended and cried, apologizing for being too shy to try to respond to Siyeon. It seems like her girlfriend was right. Bora nodded, and the couple entered their apartment. She still didn’t trust someone so quiet, though.</p>
<p>Bora put the keys down and kicked off her shoes as Siyeon did the same when they heard a noise coming from the living room.</p>
<p>Bora tensed as she looked around.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Bora called, but there was no answer.</p>
<p>Something just didn’t feel right, and when Bora flicked on the light, she saw someone in a black outfit standing in their living room. A faint gleam of metal reflected from the knife he held tightly in his hand.</p>
<p>Siyeon screamed in terror as she recognized the person standing there. It was HIM! How did he get into the house? Both girls wondered as they looked at the stranger in black.</p>
<p>At the sound of siyeon’s scream, the stalker lunged at the two girls. Without thinking, Bora put herself in front of Siyeon. She grunted as she felt the metal pierce her side, and Siyeon screamed as she realized what Bora had just done for her.</p>
<p>With all of Bora's strength, she fought their attacker. Her small hands grappling for control over the knife that was just ripped from her side, causing Bora to cry out in pain, but she refused to let go.</p>
<p>The intruder tried to circle them to get an open shot at Siyeon, but Bora was always there blocking him, putting herself between the two of them to shield Siyeon. Soon his aggression flared as he lunged and started to slash and stab at Bora wildly, shouting insults as he overpowered the small girl.</p>
<p>Bora staggered back as she held her side. She had felt the knife pierce her body several times as he attacked her wildly, but she refused to move. She wouldn’t let him get to Siyeon.</p>
<p>Bora was stabbed multiple times, and she was pretty sure one pierced her lung. It was starting to get harder to breathe, and her vision started getting blurry when they all suddenly heard a sound.</p>
<p>Soon someone was banging on the door while shouting in both Chinese and Korean. Their attacker panicked at the sounds and bolted out of the door, knocking Handong down as he ran down the stairs and escaped.</p>
<p>Handong grabbed the door just before it closed and locked automatically and rushed inside to see if everyone was alright. She wasn’t prepared for what she witnessed.</p>
<p>Bora was on the ground and gasping in siyeon’s arms as Siyeon screamed Bora’s name. A sick rattle came from Bora’s lungs as she struggled to breathe as she looked up at Siyeon with teary eyes.</p>
<p>“Please! Don’t die! Don’t leave me!” Siyeon said as she panicked and stroked Bora’s hair. Blood was making it hard for Bora to breathe and speak as she struggled to stay conscious for Siyeon.</p>
<p>Bora weakly lifted her arm up and cradled siyeon’s cheek and wiped away siyeon’s tears as she gave a weak smile to Siyeon. <em>‘at least it was me this time…’</em> Bora thought to herself as tears streaked down her cheeks.</p>
<p>‘<em>Well, maybe I really was wrong about Handong after all…</em>’ Bora thought to herself as the girl tried to give her first aid.</p>
<p>Bora mouthed one last I love you, and Siyeon told her she loved her too as Bora smiled, and her eyelids grew heavy. She could hear Siyeon crying her name, but she was too weak to keep her eyes open, and her hearing was starting to get muffled. She felt a second pair of hands on her body as Handong tried to help stop the bleeding, but it was too late. Bora was able to whisper one last word before she took her last breath.</p>
<p>“Siyeon…” She whispered softly with her last breath as she heard two girls crying loudly. Bora's breathing finally stopped, her pain subsided, and no signs of life remained as Siyeon wailed and rocked Bora’s lifeless body in her arms.</p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora sat up quickly as she gasped and held her side where she had been stabbed and took in big gasps of air. The quick movement had jostled the bed, and someone stirred beside her.</p>
<p>Quickly Bora turned to stare at Siyeon, who looked at her with a very confused look.</p>
<p>“Siyeon?!” Bora shouted, stunned as she stared at her girlfriend in shock.</p>
<p>“of course, it's me! Who else would you wake up in bed with?” Siyeon said teasingly before her eyes softened. “had another nightmare?” Siyeon asked, and Bora suddenly felt déjà vu as cold chills ran down her spine.</p>
<p>Siyeon got up to go to the bathroom, and once Siyeon was inside, Bora sat up to hear the journal thump onto the floor beside her. As she glanced down, she noticed it opened to the back of the book.</p>
<p>“Are there more blank pages missing from the back of the book?” Bora asked herself as she picked it up off of the floor.</p>
<p><em>‘does this mean I have more than one chance? What do the missing pages mean? Does it mean I only have until all the pages disappear to save Siyeon?’</em> Bora asked herself as she felt a massive headache coming on.</p>
<p><em>‘my mistake last time was being overconfident. I thought if I just stayed by siyeon’s side, she was safe when I should have been looking for her killer… I need to find her killer this time and get to him first…’</em> Bora thought to herself grimly.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Missing Pages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Bora sighed in both relief and confusion as she looked at the journal in her hands. ‘<em>There are definitely more missing pages.</em>’ Bora thought to herself as she ran her fingers over the jagged edges of the ripped-out pages just like before and this time realized that four more pages were missing.</p>
<p><em>‘four?</em>’ Bora thought to herself, and she started counting back the days that she had with Siyeon before the second murder, and it instantly clicked.</p>
<p>“four days…” Bora whispered aloud as she looked at the journal with a worried expression. “so, the pages that disappear out of the journal represent the number of days I used up before the next restart…” Bora said aloud to herself as she thought back to last night.</p>
<p><em>‘It hurt so much…’ </em>Bora thought to herself as she touched one of the places she was stabbed the night before.<em> ‘I can't believe Siyeon had to go through that by herself. At least I was with Siyeon and Handong when I died. but Siyeon died alone, and she was probably so scared…’</em> Bora thought as she tried to fight back her tears that were fighting to escape.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m so sorry, Siyeon. You shouldn’t have had to die alone. You must have felt so cold and scared. I will catch this bastard! I promise!’</em> Bora thought as her fingers clutched the journal tightly. Bora stood and carefully hid the journal. She knew from the last repeat that Siyeon was about to come out of the bathroom and made it just in time.</p>
<p>Just like last time, Siyeon smiled and asked if Bora was going to get ready for work, and Bora was torn. Should she go to work? Of course not. But should she spend the day with Siyeon?</p>
<p>No. as much as Bora wanted to just stay in ad cuddle, Bora remembered the messages that Siyeon received. That was caused by Bora changing Siyeon’s normal routine, and it ended up getting Bora killed.</p>
<p>‘<em>what should I do then?</em>’ Bora thought to herself as she walked into the bathroom and acted like she was getting ready for work.</p>
<p><em>‘I really need to know Siyeon’s schedule up until her murder. If I do, then maybe I can follow her and be able to spot her stalker…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she brushed her teeth absentmindedly. She was too distracted with her thoughts to really pay attention to what she was doing.</p>
<p>‘<em>great, Bora. She’s already terrified of a stalker and your planning on making yourself a second one!’</em> Bora thought to herself as she smacked her forehead in frustration, but she had no idea of what else to do. <em>‘I really need some advice…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she finished getting ready and walked out of the bathroom.</p>
<p>Siyeon was in the kitchen making breakfast for herself and Bora when she walked in. Siyeon smiled at her girlfriend with such a sweet expression that it made Bora feel guilty that she was about to lie to her about going to work, but she needed to find this guy before he goes after Siyeon again.</p>
<p><em>‘at least I know one thing… it is a man. I heard him speaking as he attacked me. I now feel guilty for suspecting Handong…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she smiled and sat at the bar and ate her breakfast with Siyeon.</p>
<p>Siyeon was originally a horrible cook, and Bora had banned her from the kitchen during their first couple of years of dating, but Siyeon felt bad that Bora always did all of the cooking. Siyeon wanted to cook for Bora too, but she also didn’t want to give her food poisoning like the last time she tried. So, she had secretly taken cooking classes, and one day, Bora woke up to a beautiful meal prepared by Siyeon, who had a blindingly beautiful smile as she excitedly held out a piece of paper to the smaller girl.</p>
<p>It was her graduation paper from the cooking class that Siyeon had taken, and Bora looked up at Siyeon with wide eyes. “when did you do this?” Bora asked, and Siyeon smiled.</p>
<p>“I wanted it to be a secret, so I'm sorry I didn’t tell you, but I wanted to cook you a meal that wouldn’t put both of us in the hospital, and I wanted this anniversary to be special…” Siyeon said as she blushed, and Bora smiled sweetly at her as she ate the food. The cooking class really helped Siyeon, the food was amazing.</p>
<p>‘<em>she may even be a better cook than me now!</em>’ Bora thought to herself proudly as she stuffed herself. It was an amazing anniversary that year, and now that Siyeon had much more spare time, she loved to cook for her girlfriend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the two sat at the bar, Siyeon noticed Bora’s serious expression as the smaller girl thought of ways to try to catch their killer. She really DID need help. Bora couldn’t do this alone.</p>
<p><em>‘I feel like this is the last resort, but I'm going to ask Yoohyeon and Minji for help…luckily, they don’t go into work for another hour or two, I believe.’</em> Bora thought to herself when Siyeon rested her hand gently on Bora’s arm, startling her out of her thoughts. Bora looked at the taller girl and noticed a worried expression on her face.</p>
<p>“is something wrong? You seem troubled. That’s like your tenth sigh in the last five minutes…” Siyeon said as she rubbed Bora’s back, trying to comfort her. Siyeon didn’t know what was wrong, but she definitely knew something was bothering the smaller girl and that it must be serious.</p>
<p>“don’t worry about me, you know how I am. I just overthink things too much…” Bora said as she tried to deflect the question. She didn’t want to slip and make them lose a page before she even asked Minji and Yoohyeon for help. That was when an idea popped into her head.</p>
<p>“Actually, I was trying to figure out who could help our studio with a small performance we are going to have to try to get more business, and I was thinking that serving food and drinks would be a good idea, but the studio doesn’t have a lot of money to pay for it… I was thinking about asking Minji and Yoohyeon for help, but I don’t want to make them feel like they would be obligated to help us…” Bora said as she mentally did a happy dance.</p>
<p>This would allow Bora Yoohyeon and Minji to be seen outside of work together without making Siyeon upset if she accidentally sees them following her. They could always say that they were planning for the event. That is IF the two decide to help her out, of course.</p>
<p>Siyeon smiled and rubbed Bora’s back reassuringly as she spoke.</p>
<p>“Minji is your childhood friend and schoolmate. I'm sure that she would be glad to help, and you know that Yoohyeon will always help if it means having an excuse to stay by Minji’s side!” Siyeon joked, and Bora had to admit it was true.</p>
<p>“Alright! well, I guess I better catch them before they leave for work then…” Bora said as she stood up to leave and hesitated.</p>
<p>Leaving Siyeon’s side right now was painful. She knew now that Siyeon was scared to be alone and for a good reason. The killer was in their house. He had actually managed to get inside without being let in, and that scared Bora.</p>
<p><em>‘has he been inside before? Could he have been inside our house while we were home and never knew it?’</em> Bora asked herself as she felt chills run down her body at the thought. “I need to change the locks…” Bora mumbled as she walked to the door. She didn’t mean to say it aloud, and Siyeon gave her an interesting look as she stopped Bora.</p>
<p>“why do you need to change the locks?” Siyeon asked, and Bora was mentally kicking herself again.</p>
<p>“a coworker was telling us a story about a friend of hers, and it made me worried. I would just feel comfortable with a new one that the building doesn’t have access to. After all, we bought this apartment, but we still have the old lock that security and maintenance have access to, and they change staff like crazy. I don’t like the idea of ex-employees of their building being able to enter our apartment the thought of them entering our house…” Bora said, and Siyeon’s eyes went wide at this.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even think of that… I agree with you. I will look into it today.” Siyeon said as she kissed Bora goodbye, and Bora closed the door behind her. A sigh escaped her lips as she smiled.</p>
<p><em>‘who knew I was good at creating excuses on the spot!’</em> Bora thought to herself as she walked to her left towards Minji’s door and frowned. ‘<em>Or maybe it’s a bad thing I'm so good at that…’</em> Bora thought to herself before shaking her head and prepared to knock on Minji and Yoohyeon’s door.</p>
<p>After several loud knocks later, a very sleepy looking Minji opened the door to see Bora looking extremely nervous.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Minji asked, and Bora smiled. She knew that Minji would notice rather quickly that something was bothering her.</p>
<p>“can I come in? I know its early… but I need your help…” Bora said, and Minji’s eyes opened wide, and she stepped aside to let the smaller girl inside her apartment.</p>
<p>“Yoo, baby? Bora is here!” Minji shouted, and in a minute or two, a very sleepy looking Yoohyeon stumbled out of their bedroom. The girl was in an oversized hoodie with the hood up but wore short shorts that were hidden under the giant hoodie so that it looked like the girl walked out with no pants.</p>
<p>After a couple of minutes of Bora teasing Yoohyeon and the taller girl teasing her back, Minji brought them back to the main subject.</p>
<p>“Bora, what's wrong?” Minji asked with worried eyes, and Bora sighed as her shoulders slumped. Both Yoohyeon and Minji were shocked to see Bora so visibly deflate. Whatever was bothering her was very serious.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon sat down beside Minji on the couch and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend for support. She didn’t like bad news.</p>
<p>Bora was rapidly planning what to say when Minji cleared her throat, and Bora sighed again.</p>
<p>“I fucked up…” Bora said, and the two girls' eyes went wide as they exchanged a look at each other.</p>
<p>“KIM BORA! You better not be telling me that you cheated on Siyeon!” Minji shouted, and Bora’s head snapped up in shock and offense.</p>
<p>“hell no! Why would I cheat on Siyeon? She's my everything!” Bora said, and the two girls sighed in relief as they relaxed.</p>
<p>“oh, ok… then how did you fuck up?” Yoohyeon asked as she tilted her head, making her look like a cute puppy.</p>
<p>“it’s a long story…” Bora said, and the two girls waited patiently for her to continue.</p>
<p>“a couple weeks ago, Siyeon mentioned that she felt like she was being followed…” Bora paused because she knew that the two girls would gasp at this, and they did.</p>
<p>“when she told me, I didn’t believe her. I just thought that she was paranoid. I should have listened…” Bora said, and Minji gripped her arm as she looked worriedly at Bora.</p>
<p>“what happened?” Minji asked, and Bora was so tempted to tell the truth, tell them everything about the journal, and getting a second and now third chance, but she was afraid of messing up everything<em>. ‘I can't fuck this up just yet…’</em> Bora thought to herself and decided to go with a story.</p>
<p>“a couple of days ago, I spotted Siyeon when I went for lunch with my dance crew. But something was off with her…” Bora said as she thought of what to say next.</p>
<p>“as I watched her, I noticed that she was only looking down and her pace picked up. I was confused because we all know how confident Siyeon is, but she looked like she was scared of something and was about to call out her name when she crossed the street rather quickly, and that’s when I saw him…” Bora said, and Minji looked at her with a brow raised.</p>
<p>“him?” Minji asked, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“a man in all black. Hat, mask, coat, everything. When Siyeon abruptly cut across the street, he sprinted to cross the street too. It definitely looked like he was following her. I have also noticed that Siyeon seems more and more anxious lately. It even seems like she doesn’t even like to go outside of the apartment anymore…” Bora said, and the two girls looked at each other with a worried expression before looking back to Bora.</p>
<p>“Have you tried talking to her?” Minji asked, and Bora sighed as she nodded.</p>
<p>“I tried, but because I didn’t believe her before, she won't open up to me. She just says I was right, and she was just paranoid…” Bora said as her shoulders drooped in defeat.</p>
<p>“what do you need us to do?” Minji asked, and Yoohyeon leaned forward as she waited for Bora’s response.</p>
<p>“I told Siyeon that I have an event coming up and that I wanted to ask you and Yoohyeon to help me with it. I'm asking you to help me follow Siyeon and see if we can spot her stalker. If we get caught following her, we can always say you're helping me plan the event that your bakery is helping me with.” Bora said, and she waited nervously for their answer.</p>
<p>“of course! We will be glad to help you! Did you even have to ask?” Yoohyeon answered for both of them, and Bora looked over to Minji with a nervous expression to see if the older girl agreed. Minji just smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon’s, right. Of course we will help you, silly!” Minji said as she patted Bora’s arm in an attempt to comfort her.</p>
<p>Bora hugged both girls vigorously as she fought back her tears. It was nice to have help and not try to solve this alone…</p>
<p>“where do we start?” Yoohyeon asked, and Bora thought about it for a second as she sniffled back tears.</p>
<p>“well… I know that Siyeon always goes to the same café every morning, you know how she is about her coffee…” Bora said, and the two girls nodded.</p>
<p>“addicted…” Yoohyeon said flatly while nodding at Bora as the two older girls laughed in agreement.</p>
<p>“so, what do we do at the coffee shop?” Minji asked, and Bora thought for a second.</p>
<p>“We need to watch her interactions with everyone. It could be anyone, but I'm sure that he may give some signs if he really is so obsessed with Siyeon…” Bora said, and the girls nodded.</p>
<p>“Sounds like you may need my expertise…” Yoohyeon teased with a smirk, and Minji groaned, knowing what was going to happen next.</p>
<p>“huh?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon smirked again.</p>
<p>“Are you planning on following Siyeon looking like that?” Yoohyeon asked as she pointed to Bora’s clothes.</p>
<p>“what's wrong with my clothes?” Bora asked as she looked at her outfit. She was wearing one of her pants that she liked to dance in. It was a bright red and had cutouts on the legs showing just a bit of her legs and a black sports bra with a tracksuit jacket over it.</p>
<p>“flashy much?” Yoohyeon teased, and Bora finally understood.</p>
<p>“oh…” Bora said, and the couple chuckled.</p>
<p>“Plus, I'm sure Siyeon could spot you a mile away by your…” Yoohyeon paused to think of the right word because only flashy came to mind when Bora interrupted her.</p>
<p>“if you say height, I'm going to come across this table…” Bora said, and Yoohyeon’s eyes went wide as she pouted. ‘<em>damn! I didn’t even think about that! That was the perfect opportunity to tease Bora, and I didn’t even think of that!’</em> Yoohyeon thought to herself as she shook her head and fought back giggles.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t going to say that, but now I kinda wish I did!” Yoohyeon said as Bora pouted.</p>
<p>“Well, I don’t run a clothing store for nothing!” Yoohyeon said, and Minji chipped in.</p>
<p>“MY clothing store…” Minji said, and Yoohyeon rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“technicality…” Yoohyeon said as Bora laughed at their teasing. Yoohyeon grabbed Bora’s and Minji’s wrists as she dragged them to the bedroom. Minji groaned, and soon Bora knew why.</p>
<p>Several outfits later, the group was ready to leave. Bora waited by the door as she listened for Siyeon to leave the house. After a couple of minutes, Bora heard what she was waiting for and signaled the two to follow her.</p>
<p>The three kept back as they followed Siyeon. They could really tell that Siyeon was stressed and worried that someone was following her because she would constantly look over her shoulder as she walked.</p>
<p>“she really IS worried, isn’t she?” Minji asked, and Bora nodded. “I kinda hoped that you were wrong, but it really doesn’t look like it…” Minji said as they watched Siyeon turn a corner in the direction of the coffee shop.</p>
<p>The three girls didn’t panic because there was only one coffee shop in this direction, so they knew where they were going luckily.</p>
<p>As they turned the corner, they caught a glimpse of Siyeon walking through one of the doors of the café.</p>
<p>“ok, now remember… we need to watch her reactions with EVERYONE!” Bora said, and Yoohyeon pulled out her phone.</p>
<p>“Why are you taking out your phone?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“so that we can get pictures of everyone so we can look at them later, duh!” Yoohyeon said it like it was the first thing you should think of.</p>
<p>“and how the hell will you explain to everyone why your taking pictures of everybody?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon giggled.</p>
<p>“I'm not, Minji and I are going to take selfies in the <em>beautiful café</em>…” Yoohyeon said as she winked.</p>
<p>‘<em>Damn, maybe they will be of help after all…</em>’ Bora thought to herself as she nodded, liking the idea.</p>
<p>“quickly! We need to watch her first interactions!” Minji said as they rushed into the building, and the other two followed right behind her.</p>
<p>The three spotted Siyeon in line, and it was finally her turn at the counter.</p>
<p>“oh, who’s the cute coffee boy?” Yoohyeon asked as she looked at the barista that smiled cutely at Siyeon. His eyes crinkled as he smiled, and Siyeon smiled politely back.</p>
<p>“They obviously know each other. She seems comfortable around him too. I don’t think he's the one…” Minji said as she looked around. No one was looking at Siyeon except for the staff that greeted her warmly. She was one of their favorite regulars, and it showed. One of the other baristas brought a pastry over to her on the house, and Siyeon looked on in shock.</p>
<p>“They all seem really nice here. That was so sweet!” Minji said as Yoohyeon looked around carefully.</p>
<p>“what are you thinking about?” Minji asked Yoohyeon, and she grunted as she arranged her thoughts, and they took a seat at a table that was in a corner but still allowed them to see Siyeon and the rest of the café.</p>
<p>“well, Siyeon comes here EVERY DAY, right? Without fail?” Yoohyeon asked, and Bora nodded. “so, this would be the perfect place to wait for her. The person doesn’t even have to be inside. They can be waiting outside for her. Especially if she has a specific pattern to her routine…” Yoohyeon said, and Minji looked at her with both shock and pride.</p>
<p>“that’s my baby!” Minji said as she hugged the slightly taller girl. Yoohyeon blushed and smiled shyly as Minji hugged her and rocked her back and forth.</p>
<p>So, you're saying the person could even be waiting outside?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon nodded.</p>
<p>“it’s a possibility, but not a guarantee. The person may actually be inside this coffee shop with us, but the only ones looking at her are the staff right now.” Yoohyeon said as she scanned the shop.</p>
<p>“well, let's get started with the selfies!” Yoohyeon said, and the two girls started walking around the shop while taking pictures and raving about how cute the coffee shop was. Luckily not many people were paying attention to them, and they walked back to Bora as they flipped through the pictures.</p>
<p>“not bad!” Bora said as she looked at the photos. Yoohyeon and Minji were able to get pictures of everyone in the shop with Yoohyeon’s selfie method.</p>
<p>“yay for the selfie craze, or we would have never gotten away with that!” Minji joked as Yoohyeon nodded.</p>
<p>“When we get home, I will print out these pictures and make copies for all of us!” Yoohyeon said as she looked at the phone intently.</p>
<p>“Seriously though, why are the staff so smiley? It's kinda creepy!” Yoohyeon whispered to the two girls, and they both nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>The staff seemed to always have a smile plastered onto their faces, and it did indeed look fake or creepy, but the difference with the smiles was that when the staff smiled at Siyeon, their smiles were genuine. It matched their eyes where their fake smiles didn’t. She really WAS a favorite here.</p>
<p>“so how long does Siyeon stay here?” Minji asked, and Bora thought for a second.</p>
<p>“um, I believe for an hour or two. She plans out her day here before doing whatever she needs to.” Bora said, and Minji nodded.</p>
<p>“so, this really IS the best place to find her. This makes her predictable. It’s a stalker's dream.” Minji said, and Bora started to feel anxious.</p>
<p>“well, at least she doesn’t seem anxious in here…” Yoohyeon said, and Bora turned around to look at her girlfriend. It was true. All she could see was Siyeon’s back, but she didn’t look so tense. <em>‘this must be a safe haven for her when I'm not home…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she watched Siyeon carefully.</p>
<p>After some time, Siyeon walked over and set some money on the counter and walked out of the door. Minji and Bora followed her immediately, but Yoohyeon hung back to watch the staff's reaction.</p>
<p>The barista that brought over the pastry smiled and shook his head as he took the money and put it in the register. But the one that took her original order just frowned slightly as he watched her go.</p>
<p><em>‘that’s weird… does this normally happen?’</em> Yoohyeon thought to herself before walking out the door to catch up to her girlfriend and Bora.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon just managed to catch a glimpse of the two turning the corner, and she trotted to catch up to them. Luckily with her long legs, it didn’t take long.</p>
<p>“what took you so long?” Minji whispered as the three followed Siyeon. Yoohyeon looked at the two and debated if what she had seen was worth mentioning and thought against it. “nothing. I was just watching everyone as she left to see if there were any hints.” Yoohyeon said, and Bora glanced at Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“anything?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon shook her head.</p>
<p>“no, she just paid for her pastry and left. No customers came out after Siyeon, either.” Yoohyeon said, and Bora seemed to wilt.</p>
<p>“of course… they wouldn’t make this easy, would they?” Bora asked sarcastically, and Minji chuckled.</p>
<p>“well, duh! If they were this easy to catch, they wouldn’t be called stalkers, and we wouldn’t need as many police!” Minji teased as Bora shook her head in defeat.</p>
<p>Today seemed to be a dead end. And the rest of the day didn’t seem any better. It wasn’t until later in the day that they noticed a change in Siyeon. She looked across the street and jumped.</p>
<p>The three girls looked over to spot a man in black walking on the opposite side of the street from Siyeon and the others. He was definitely watching her while walking, and Siyeon panicked.</p>
<p>“that’s got to be him!” Minji hissed as Bora went to lunge at the masked stranger.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon and Minji just barely managed to stop her before she did something stupid and waited for Bora to calm down.</p>
<p>“better?” Minji asked once Bora stopped squirming, and Bora pouted.</p>
<p>“no! how could I be! He has been terrorizing Siyeon!” Bora exclaimed, and Minji shook her head.</p>
<p>“Bora, he could be dangerous! He could even have a weapon!” Minji said, and Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“I already know he's dangerous. He carries a knife! And I don’t want him following Siyeon!” Bora hissed back, and the two girls froze at the mention of a knife.</p>
<p>“how do you know this?” Minji asked, and Bora looked at Minji with pleading eyes. Minji sighed in defeat and shook her head.</p>
<p>“ok fine… but you WILL tell us later!” Minji said, and Bora agreed as they caught up to Siyeon and the stalker.</p>
<p>The three decided to split up. Yoohyeon would stay on Siyeon, and Minji would go with Bora to follow the stalker.</p>
<p>They decided this because even though Bora was small, she was strong due to her being a dancer. Minji had also taken some self-defense classes when she was younger, and Yoohyeon couldn’t defend herself from a butterfly, so it was decided that Yoohyeon would follow Siyeon. It was the safest for their goofy friend.</p>
<p>Bora and Minji crossed the street and were following the stalker for several minutes before he broke off from Siyeon’s path and cut down an alley.</p>
<p>Bora and Minji looked at each other, nervously. “do you feel a trap?” Bora asked, and Minji just nodded as she looked in the direction of the alley.</p>
<p>“Let's argue like we're lost, I will say I know the way, and you say we are lost…” Minji said, and Bora nodded in agreement at their rushed plan. <em>‘I can't believe we are willingly walking into a trap…’</em> Bora thought to herself as they started their act.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'm telling you, it’s this way!” Minji shouted as the two turned down the alley.</p>
<p>“and I'm telling you your wrong! Why are you so horrible with directions?” Bora said as she threw her arms up in frustration and rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“hey! It’s called directionally challenged!” Minji said as she pouted and looked around the alley.</p>
<p>They didn’t see anyone, but there were a lot of boxes and debris to hide behind.</p>
<p>“you sure it’s this way?” Bora asked nervously. “this place gives me the creeps…” Bora said as a chill ran down her spine. It really was creepy, and they knew that the stalker had to be nearby.</p>
<p>“of course I am! Don’t you trust me?” Minji asked, acting offended.</p>
<p>“says the one that got lost while walking to high school. As a SENIOR! You went to the school for YEARS and still got lost getting there!”  Bora said, and Minji winced. It was true and a sore subject.</p>
<p>“well, that’s what GPS is for!” Minji shouted, and Bora rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“and why aren’t we using that right now?” Bora asked as they walked slowly and nervously down the alley.</p>
<p>As they walked down to the end, they heard something crunch behind them, and their heart rates shot up as they feared that he was behind them.</p>
<p>Suddenly Minji’s phone pinged, and she pulled it out. It was Yoohyeon's specific message tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>YOO BABY&lt;3</strong>
</p>
<p>WATCH OUT!</p>
<p>HES BEHIND YOU TWO. THE TOWER OF BOXES!</p>
<p>IM GOING TO CALL TO YOU AND LEAD YOU OUT OF THE ALLEY!</p>
<p>DON’T DO ANYTHING TO DRAW HIS ATTENTION!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Yoohyeon messaged, and slowly they turned to see Yoohyeon panting and signaling to their left with her eyes.</p>
<p>Bora could tell that someone was hiding behind a pile of boxes and crates, but Bora had the very bad luck of meeting the stalker's eyes.</p>
<p>“shit!” Bora whispered, and without warning, the stalker lunged out, slashing his knife wildly at Bora. Luckily, she knew this tactic of his from when he killed her last time, and Bora successfully dodged him. As she prepared for his next attack, something unexpected happened.</p>
<p>Instead of attacking Bora, he went after Minji.</p>
<p>Minji didn’t have enough time to react because it was so unexpected, and neither did Bora. The two watched in horror as the knife came at Minji, but at the last second, a silver blur darted in front of Minji as Yoohyeon knocked her girlfriend out of the way.</p>
<p>The knife pierced Yoohyeon’s side, and the stalker twisted the knife tearing the flesh around the wound before pulling it out as she cried out and collapsed in pain.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon!” both Minji and Bora cried aloud as they watched Yoohyeon collapse onto the ground while clutching her side as blood gushed out.</p>
<p>“yoo!” Minji shouted as she darted over to try to stop the bleeding. Tears fell from Yoohyeon’s eyes as she still clutched her side. She looked up with a sad smile as Minji looked at her with tears in her eyes and tried to put pressure on Yoohyeons wound.</p>
<p>“yoo, you will be alright, ok? Just hold on, ok?” Minji said as her voice raised, and she fought back sobs. It looked really bad, but Minji didn’t want to worry Yoohyeon as she looked at her with such a frightened expression.</p>
<p>Bora was in a rage as she lunged at the stalker, but he knocked her back hard, and she slammed into the wall hard as she hit her head. Bora slid down the wall, stunned from the impact. To her horror, she watched the killer walking over to Yoohyeon and Minji. She tried to call out a warning to the two, but she couldn’t make words come out, and her head ached furiously.</p>
<p>The stalker walked up, and Minji looked up just in time to see a boot flying at her. Bora was completely helpless as she watched him stand over the dazed body of Minji. He leaned down, and his back was to Bora, but she could tell that he had stabbed Minji.</p>
<p>Slowly the man walked over to Bora. She tried to study everything about him, but nothing stood out.</p>
<p>Black mask with no markings, black hat that looked like something that you would wear in the military, a black jacket that looked too warm to wear in this temperature with no markings as well, and a tall collar. Even his black boots didn’t stand out, and Bora looked at him in annoyance and rage.</p>
<p>Bora struggled to get to her feet, but her ears were still ringing, and her limbs just didn’t want to cooperate.</p>
<p>“well, well, who do we have here?” the stalker said with smug confidence. “Siyeon’s slut girlfriend? Hmm, this opens up a great opportunity! I can get closer to her while she morns you at your funeral!” the stalker said, and Bora’s eyes went wide at the comment, and soon, rage flashed across her face.</p>
<p>“aww, does that make you mad?” he said cockily. “not like you could do anything about it anyway, you will be DEAD!” he said as he lunged in and stabbed Bora repeatedly in the stomach.</p>
<p>Bora cried out in pain as she felt the knife piercing her stomach again and again. He took out all of his aggression on her, and then quickly like nothing happened, he tucked the knife away and walked out of the alley like nothing happened only to disappear into the crowd like a ghost...</p>
<p>Bora's blood was almost invisible on his all-black outfit, so no one would ever expect that he just murdered three girls in an alley, so his escape was easy.</p>
<p> Bora laid against the wall as waves of pain ran through her small body. She tilted her head back until it touched the wall and closed her eyes as she fought the pain until she felt she could go to Yoohyeon and Minji.</p>
<p>‘<em>shit… it hurts even more than before!’</em> Bora thought to herself as she crawled towards her friends. Her body still didn’t seem to want to cooperate with her, and she could feel blood in her hair from her impact with the wall earlier that may be the cause.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon was now holding Minji while crying softly as she touched Minji’s face with such gentle care.</p>
<p>“yoo, are… are you two, alright?” Bora asked as she crawled closer to the two while leaving a gruesome, bloody trail behind her. Yoohyeon’s sobs became more audible, and Bora knew that it wasn’t a good sign.</p>
<p>“yoo?” Bora asked weakly as she finally reached them. She wasn’t prepared for this. No matter how many times she or others would die, she would never be prepared for this sight.</p>
<p>Minji lay in Yoohyeon’s arms, her eyes wide and unblinking. Brief flashes of siyeon’s unblinking eyes flickered into her head as she looked at Minji’s lifeless stare. Bora looked for her injuries and froze.</p>
<p>A deep cut ran across Minji’s throat, and her clothes were stained red with the blood that had flooded out. He didn’t stab her, he slit her throat…</p>
<p>“m, Minji…” Bora said as she crawled closer and cradled Minji gently in her arms as Yoohyeon cried softly. <em>‘now I didn’t only git Siyeon killed, but Minji and Yoohyeon too…they don’t deserve this!’</em> Bora thought to herself as tears started to flow.</p>
<p>As she looked at Yoohyeon, she noticed the color flooding from her face, and her strength was fading as well as her sobs. All that mattered to Yoohyeon was holding Minji’s hand one last time.</p>
<p>The younger girl weakly stretched her hand out and grasped Minji’s now cold hand one for a final time as Yoohyeon finally closed her eyes forever. A slow trickle of her last tears falling from the corners of her eyes as she went still, still clutching Minji’s hand.</p>
<p>“yoo?” bora asked as her voice cracked. She knew that Yoohyeon was gone, but she just couldn’t accept it yet.</p>
<p>Bora shrieked as she held the two girls still bodies. Her wails echoed off the walls of the alley, and any passerby that heard it could feel the anguish in her wails. Yet no one came to help or even look to see what bora was so anguished over.</p>
<p>‘<em>how could no one hear us? Why isn’t anyone coming to help?’</em> Bora thought to herself as she sobbed, looking at her friends now still bodies. Of course, people wouldn’t come to help. They could tell just from the sound that it's dangerous<em>.</em></p>
<p><em> ‘Handong wasn’t afraid to come running to help, and she cants even talk to people!’</em> Bora thought to herself as she looked at Minji and Yoohyeon's bodies.</p>
<p>“fucking cowards!” Bora managed to scream at the bystanders walking by before she slowly crumpled forward, slowly succumbing to her wounds as her strength drained along with her blood, and just like before, her breathing got more ragged and erratic as she struggled until it stopped completely and left an eerie silence in the alley.</p>
<p>The three lay there on the ground in some strange alley. The girls' blood mixed together into a giant pool that surrounded the three in a dark red ring around them.</p>
<p>‘<em>please... whatever this is, magic or something else… please Let me redo this…’</em> Bora thought as her consciousness finally faded away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora woke up in bed again, but this time she didn’t pop up in surprise. Bora was learning the rules of the journal. Quietly and gently, she checked the journal. Just like she expected, only one page was missing</p>
<p>Bora sighed in relief as she laid her head back down on her pillow and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. Well, at least one part of the puzzle was figured out. With the missing pages, at least…</p>
<p><em>‘well, what do I do know?’</em> Bora thought to herself as Siyeon groaned and rolled over in bed. Bora quickly hid the journal under the covers just in case Siyeon woke up, but she just sighed and fell back asleep.</p>
<p>‘<em>I need to test this. I'm going to tell Yoohyeon and Minji the truth. I would rather only waste one page with this test instead of fucking up down the line when it's important by letting something slip to only lose multiple pages. I really need to learn the rules of this journal anyways…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she planned how to tell her best friends that she had just got them killed.</p>
<p>But on the bright side, they are alive now, right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Gone?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Bora was lying in bed slightly frustrated as she went over yesterday's events in her head and started to stress as she remembered Yoohyeon and Minji’s death.</p>
<p><em>‘they are alive too, right? I didn’t get them permanently killed, did I?’</em> Bora thought as she stressed and ruffled her hair in frustration. She still didn’t know how the journal worked, and her anxiety was building as she thought to herself.</p>
<p><em>‘I don’t even know the rules of the damn journal yet! What if I really got them killed! I…’</em> Bora felt her eyes stinging as images of minji blankly staring up into nothingness painted in her own blood and Yoohyeon’s sobs as she cradled Minji’s still body flashed into her mind. She desperately tried to fight back tears and sighed frustratedly.</p>
<p>After her sigh, arms snaked around her waist as Siyeon snuggled against the smaller girl. Bora’s tossing and turning had woken up her beautiful girlfriend. The contact first startled Bora, but soon she sighed and relaxed against Siyeon’s warm body.</p>
<p>“what's wrong? You seem upset about something…” Siyeon asked worriedly as she kissed Bora gently. The older girl smiled as she hugged her beautiful girlfriend back and snuggled into her chest so that when she spoke, it was muffled, causing Siyeon to laugh cutely.</p>
<p>“you know how I am. I overthink things and stress too much…” Bora said, and Siyeon looked down at Bora, whose face was still tucked into her chest.</p>
<p>“whatever it is, I'm sure you will be able to solve it. Your amazing and smart, even if you don’t think so yourself. And if you can’t solve whatever is bothering you, then I am always here to listen and try to help if you need it.” Siyeon said, and Bora smiled.</p>
<p>Siyeon is so soft and snuggly. Bora didn’t know how people were afraid of her in high school. Everyone seemed to be intimidated because they didn’t know that behind the dark clothes and intense stare, there was an incredibly loving and soft Siyeon that was incredibly sensitive and loved to cuddle.</p>
<p>All Bora saw was a gorgeous girl that had a very sexy and intense stare when her eyes had first met the singers, but when she found out, most of her glares were because of Siyeon’s horrible eyesight and refusing to wear glasses she fell for her even more. Both girls were incredibly stubborn and clicked right away.</p>
<p>This was the real Siyeon that others never got to see. Her fanbase may not be gigantic, but Bora always wondered if they knew how soft and sweet Siyeon was off the stage would she lose fans or gain more? All Bora knows is that right now in Siyeon’s arms is where she feels the safest, and Bora will do anything to protect Siyeon from the psycho that keeps killing everyone.</p>
<p>Suddenly Bora remembered what she was stressing about again, and Siyeon felt her slightly tense. She gently kissed Bora’s forehead to try to soothe her, and it helped but only a little. Bora’s mind was now on overdrive with ‘what if’s.</p>
<p><em>‘what if I mention them, but Siyeon doesn’t remember Minji and Yoohyeon? Does that mean that they are gone? Please don’t tell me my mistake yesterday wiped them out of existence… wait, that’s a way to test it. I just need to ask Siyeon something about them and see what she says… please tell me they are ok…’</em> Bora thought as she gulped and finally lifted her head to look Siyeon in the eyes.</p>
<p>“you remember Minji and Yoohyeon, right?” Bora asked and got a surprised laugh from her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“How can I forget your best friend and her clingy puppy-like girlfriend? They live next door after all!” Siyeon said as she laughed and looked at Bora with a confused expression.</p>
<p>Bora’s muscles that she didn’t know were tensed suddenly released as well as her breath in relief. <em>‘they are alive! Or at least she remembers them!’ </em>Bora thought as she smiled and kissed Siyeon on the nose. She loved how Siyeon would always scrunch her nose at it but then smile softly right after.</p>
<p>Bora explained the fake project for work, and Siyeon smiled and sent her over to go talk to the couple next door, but Bora has now been standing out front of the couple's door for several minutes while stressing.</p>
<p><em>‘what if they don’t answer? Wait, they always answered! But, if they don’t, that means they are gone…’ </em>Bora gulped as she continued to stress. Finally, Bora got so frustrated that she finally banged on the door rather loudly. Her frustration taken out on the defenseless door.</p>
<p>“if they ARE there, I'm going to tell them the truth. They deserve it, after all. After I got them killed… and I need to test if it will trigger a restart or not…” Bora whispered to herself as she heard stomping coming towards the door and stepped back, expecting an angry Minji.</p>
<p>“what the hell?!” Minji shouted as the door flew open. As soon as Minji was in view, Bora launched into her best friend as she hugged her fiercely.</p>
<p>“oh my god! I thought I lost you!” Bora shouted as tears started to streak down her face, startling Minji, who only stood there frozen in position with her hand still on the doorknob as the smaller girl clung to her like a koala.</p>
<p>“Bora, what's wrong?” Minji asked worriedly, but only sobs came out of Bora’s throat. Minji looked over her shoulder to look at Yoohyeon, who was walking into the room sleepily. Minji’s expression was extremely worried, and soon Yoohyeon mirrored her girlfriend as they led the sobbing girl inside and sat her down on the couch after prying her off of Minji.</p>
<p>“she’s MY girlfriend, god damn it!” Yoohyeon shouted before Bora was finally ripped off of Bora only to now begin clinging to the younger girl. Yoohyeon sighed in frustration as she looked at her girlfriend, and Minji could only just shrug.</p>
<p>Minji had never seen her friend like this, so whatever upset her this much must be severe. “relax! It's not like someone died!” Minji shouted, and Bora froze as her sob caught in her throat. Her reaction startled Minji as she shifted to the edge of her seat. </p>
<p>“Did someone really die?” Minji asked, and Bora could only nod. This must be the mental breakdown that Bora could feel had been coming for days. Bora wanted to speak, to explain, and apologize for getting them killed, but all she could do is sob as she clung to a frustrated but extremely worried Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon started to pat and stroke Bora’s head, trying to soothe her, but it took several minutes for Bora to finally be able to speak.</p>
<p>“ok, so who died?” Minji finally asked softly when it seemed Bora could speak.</p>
<p>The smaller girl couldn’t make eye contact as she spoke. “Siyeon…” Bora whispered, and the two looked alarmed.</p>
<p>“What happened to Siyeon? When did this happen? How?” Minji shouted as Yoohyeon froze in shock.</p>
<p>“now, please listen to everything I have to say, please?” Bora pleaded, and the two girls nodded as they tensed for the bad news.</p>
<p>“on the 28<sup>th</sup>… Minji, you go to a class reunion with me. We don’t get home until late. Like around 2 or 3 am, I think? Anyway… When I go inside, I find Siyeon dead on the floor… Someone killed her, but there were no signs of the killer. Blood was everywhere. I just remember screaming as I held her, and soon you and Yoohyeon were at my door…” Bora said as she paused to look at their expressions,</p>
<p>Minji’s eyes were wide, and it was like she was staring off into space. As Bora looked over to Yoohyeon, she had the same expression. <em>‘are we about to restart again?’</em> Bora asked herself before the two girls started fighting to blink away tears.</p>
<p>“Why are you crying?” Bora asked hesitantly, and the two smiled sadly at her.</p>
<p>“Bora… I, I remember. After you told me, I got something like flashbacks. Everything played in my head. I remember you letting us in sounding so tiny and frail as you asked me if she was really dead… I remember seeing Siyeon’s body. That blank stare…” Minji said as shivers ran up and down her body, and she tried to blink away more tears.</p>
<p>“do you remember yesterday then?” Bora asked, and the two looked at each other with a confused expression before shaking their heads no.</p>
<p>“yesterday, I told you about Siyeon’s stalker and asked you for help. I'm sorry I lied and didn’t tell you everything, but I didn’t want to lose more pages…” Bora said as she explained the journal to the two and her day repeating. After a pause, Bora was ready to tell them how yesterday ended.</p>
<p>“first off, I'm SO sorry… please forgive me, and please don’t hate me…” Bora asked, and the two looked at each other in confusion before looking back to Bora and nodding.</p>
<p>“someone else died…” Bora said as she hesitated.</p>
<p>“who?” Minji asked, And Bora cringed before continuing.</p>
<p>“you and Yoohyeon. both of you, well me too, but it’s all my fault…” Bora said, and the couple shared a confused look at each other before looking back at Bora.</p>
<p>“what? We’re not dead obviously. We are right here!” Minji said, but Bora shook her head. And Minji waited to see that Bora was going to speak some more.</p>
<p>“like I said, yesterday I came over here asking you two to help me catch Siyeon’s stalker and killer. We followed her to try to spot him and ended up following him only to be killed by him in an alley yesterday, or technically, today.” Bora said as she finally looked into Minji’s eyes.</p>
<p>Minji was frozen and her eyes wide. You could almost see the events of yesterday playing in front of her eyes like a movie as she witnessed her last moments. Minji just sat there unblinking, and tears trickled down her eyes before she finally blinked and looked at Bora, who was now crying again.</p>
<p>Within seconds the three were ingulfed in an extreme group hug as they cried in each other's arms. Yoohyeon, who was the most sensitive, couldn’t help but touch Minji’s throat just to make sure that Minji was safe and unharmed before she felt her side where she had been stabbed the day before.</p>
<p>“is it me or can you feel a hint of like, I don’t know how to describe it… ghost pain?” Yoohyeon asked, and Minji nodded as she gingerly touched her neck. It wasn’t extreme, just like she was bruised. The two looked over to Bora, who shrugged.</p>
<p>“I did, but I thought It was just all in my head. I have been really stressed after Siyeon’s death, so I thought my sanity was slipping or something.” Bora said casually, and the two looked at her with horrified expressions. She didn’t want to tell them about seeing Siyeon in reflections after she died.</p>
<p>“you thought you were going insane?” Minji asked, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“briefly on the first day of repeating. I thought I had lost it, and maybe I'm in a coma or something, and this is all just in my head. It was just so hard to believe in the beginning. All of this flashed in my head so quickly, but as soon as I was able to hold Siyeon and feel her warmth, I knew it wasn’t in my head or a dream.” Bora said, and the two nodded.</p>
<p>“and… yesterday wasn’t the first time I died before restarting everything…” Bora said, and the two looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“What?” was all Minji could get out before Bora started to explain her first repeat.</p>
<p>“On the day of my first restart, I spent at home with Siyeon. On Sunday we went to Siyeon’s concert. You two were there too.” Bora said, and their eyes went wide at the memory.</p>
<p>“right! You got up and sang with Siyeon!” Yoohyeon said, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“But I still don’t remember a death…” Minji said, and Bora’s face went grim.</p>
<p>“because I fucked up and didn’t think of how the stalker would feel by my hiding Siyeon, I triggered him to act early,” Bora said and without noticing, touched the place she was stabbed that night.</p>
<p>“you two went to go get food somewhere after the concert, and when Siyeon and I went inside, he was there waiting…” Bora said, and Yoohyeon gasped.</p>
<p>“wait, like INSIDE YOUR APARTMENT?” Minji asked, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how he got in there or if he has been in there before, but he was there and waiting for us that night. And that night, I died in Siyeon’s arms. She and our other neighbor tried to do first aid, but it was too late for me. He had punctured one of my lungs. I think I drowned in my own blood…” Bora said as she remembered that night with a shiver.</p>
<p>“wait, what was the quiet neighbor doing in your apartment?” Minji asked with a suspicious look, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“when Siyeon screamed as I was being attacked, Handong must have heard it. She started banging on our door, shouting, and it seemed to startle the killer causing him to run away. She must have snuck into the door before it slammed closed. I remember her trying to stop the bleeding, and both Siyeon and Handong crying over me as I died.” Bora said, and the two exchanged a sad look.</p>
<p>“Handong isn’t a suspect,” Bora said, and the two nodded and felt guilty for suspecting their shy neighbor.</p>
<p> “It can't be healthy for your sanity to die so many times, Bora. Plus, we don’t even know if it affects your body at all. This phantom pain worries me…” Minji said, and Yoohyeon thought for a second before speaking.</p>
<p>“what if the pain is like proof from the journal or like motivation?” Yoohyeon said, and the two older girls looked at her with confused expressions. “meaning its proving that what happened really DID happen and it's trying to make you take this seriously. Like its saying yes, you DID die there, now what are you going to do to change that?” Yoohyeon asked as she looked between the two.</p>
<p>“otherwise you could still think you are in a coma or dream, pain is how most people try to tell if they are dreaming, right? Because you can't feel pain if you get hurt in a dream, right?” Yoohyeon asked, and the two were really impressed with the younger girl's thought process. It made sense, and they hoped that she was right and that when they finally succeed, the damage done to their bodies wouldn’t catch up to them in some ways.</p>
<p>“wait…” Yoohyeon said as she thought about something.</p>
<p>“what?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon smirked.</p>
<p>“four heads are better than three, right?” Yoohyeon asked, and Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“she’s too shy to talk to us, let alone help us. And seriously, who would believe us?” Bora said as she shook her head.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon rolled her eyes. “you forget something big…” Yoohyeon teased, and Bora looked at her with a confused look, and finally, Yoohyeon rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration.</p>
<p>“if WE can remember, maybe if you tell her she can remember too!” Yoohyeon said, and Bora couldn’t believe she didn’t think of that.</p>
<p>“but what if you two can remember only because you two died and were brought back by the journal as well?” Bora asked, and they thought about it quietly.</p>
<p>“well, it’s better to find out now instead of losing an extra page later, right?” Minji said, and Yoohyeon nodded. “besides, what if when the killer ran past her, she noticed something about him that we don’t know?” Minji asked, and Bora sighed.</p>
<p>“I hate it when you two make sense. You know that, right?” Bora said as the couple chuckled and stuck out their tongues at the smaller girl.</p>
<p>“but what if it restarts it because you really DO have to be killed to remember?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon smiled.</p>
<p>“then we get him to kill her!” Yoohyeon said, and Minji smacked her shoulder.</p>
<p>“ouch! What?” Yoohyeon said as she rubbed her now sore shoulder while pouting.</p>
<p>“We do not go and try to purposely get people killed!” Minji scolded her girlfriend as Bora shook her head at the younger girl.</p>
<p>“what? We need help! and she might notice something that we don’t!” Yoohyeon said, and Minji shook her head.</p>
<p>“do you remember dying? Because I do! He slit my throat, Yoohyeon! MY THROAT! And before that, I remembered you jumping in front of me and getting stabbed! I have never felt so helpless…I don’t want to ever experience that again! So, I definitely don’t want to purposely put someone through that…” Minji said, and Yoohyeon hugged her girlfriend as she felt Minji starting to shake as the memories flashed in her mind.</p>
<p>“Bora… how can you deal with this? You have died twice now… how are you not falling apart?” Minji asked, and Bora just smiled weakly.</p>
<p>“it's not easy… I can tell you that. But after a while, I hope to become numb to it…” Bora's said, and Minji frowned before thinking to herself.</p>
<p>“so, what do we do about that bastard?” Minji asked as she looked at the two. “I feel like we were definitely not prepared last time. We need a way to protect ourselves. Something that gives us a bit more distance than the knife we now know he uses…” Minji said as she thought to herself before her eyes lit up with an idea.</p>
<p>“batons!” Minji shouted, and the two looked at her, still confused. “the expandable batons that they use in defense classes and you see police use in the movies? A flick of the wrist, and it's fully extended. It's easily three times the length of his knife, right?” Minji asked, and the two girls just shrugged.</p>
<p>“how do you even know about them?” Bora asked, and Minji smirked. A distinctive smirk and Bora didn’t like that smirk. It always led to one person. Bora let out a groan as Yoohyeon laughed, knowing what was coming.</p>
<p>“from Siyeon’s number one fan, of course!” Minji said, and Bora groaned louder.</p>
<p>“why Dami… And how does she know how to use them?” Bora asked exasperatedly, and Minji chuckled.</p>
<p>“because… remember when Gahyeon first met her, Dami was in training to become a bodyguard to get close to her favorite singer?” Minji asked as Bora groaned again.</p>
<p>“I don’t like her being so close to my sister…” Bora grumbled, and the other girls looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“um, Bora? Gahyeon is Siyeon’s sister. Not yours…” Yoohyeon said as Bora snorted.</p>
<p>“I know that, but I always think of her as a sister anyway. Plus, she calls Siyeon big sis, and I’m bigger sis.  Fair is fair…” Bora said jokingly as the others sighed.</p>
<p>“well, you're not really BIGGER than Siyeon, now are you?” Yoohyeon teased as Bora stuck her tongue out at the younger girl.</p>
<p>Minji was honestly starting to truly worry about Bora’s sanity as she watched the two argue<em>. ‘we need to keep a watch on this, Bora acts strong because she's tiny, but she's almost as soft as Siyeon.’</em> Minji thought to herself as she smiled at Bora encouragingly.</p>
<p>“But, we will still have to call Dami for the batons…” Minji teased as Bora groaned. “I don’t know why you hate her, Bora. She always treats Gahyeon like a princess!” Minji teases, but Bora pouts.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon said that Dami has more pics of Siyeon in her phone than her own girlfriend! And I don’t hate her. I'm just extremely protective of Siyeon and don’t like others being too clingy to her. Whenever she's around Siyeon, you can almost see hearts in her eyes! For all I know, Dami could be stalking her too!” Bora said as the other two rolled their eyes.</p>
<p>“you're so jealous…” Yoohyeon teased, causing Bora to squeak in indignation.</p>
<p>“I am not!” Bora said as the others chorused an ‘uh-huh…’ in unison. Bora just pouted as she crossed her arms and sulked. “I'm not!” Bora said loudly but didn’t sound too confident.</p>
<p>“Should we ask Dami and Gahyeon for help?” Yoohyeon asked, but the older two shook their heads, no causing Yoohyeon to pout.</p>
<p>“do you know how horrible I felt getting you two killed? How I felt as I watched it happen and was helpless? I can’t take so many people dying because of me…” Bora said weakly, and the others nodded.</p>
<p>“I'm even hesitant to ask Handong for help. After all, she’s extremely shy…” Bora said, and Minji thought about something.</p>
<p>“what if when Handong was at your door, she noticed something about the killer? After all, she may be shy and quiet, but she also seems to be very observant.” Minji said, and Bora’s eyes lit up with hope.</p>
<p>“now don’t get your hopes up, Bora, we don’t know if she did or not. I'm just hoping.” Minji said, and Bora nodded in understanding, but it made her feel hope, and she couldn’t help but wish the shy girl that risked herself to come to her neighbors' rescue had, in fact, seen something.</p>
<p>“well, should we go talk to her?” Yoohyeon asked, and the two older girls exchanged a look before nodding.</p>
<p>“We just need to wait for Siyeon to leave, and then we can go see if Handong is home,” Bora said as the two nodded.</p>
<p>“why do we need to wait?” Yoohyeon asked, and Minji smiled before explaining it to her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“because Handong probably won't let us inside her house, and if we have to talk outside, Siyeon may walk out and hear something. We still don’t know what will happen then…” Minji said as Yoohyeon nodded and stood up after Bora finally released her from her grip.</p>
<p>After a short while, they heard Siyeon leave and started getting ready to go over to Handong’s.</p>
<p>“I'm nervous…” Yoohyeon said as they walked out of their apartment and walked over to Handong’s door.</p>
<p>“me too…” the other two girls whispered nervously as they stood in front of the door.</p>
<p>Finally, Bora got the courage to knock on the door, and everyone waited as they heard shuffling as the door slowly opened a crack. All they could see of Handong was one eye and her nose as she looked at the three in front of her door.</p>
<p>Bora smiled weakly due to nerves getting the better of her, and Handong looked from person to person before speaking softly.</p>
<p>“yes? Can I help you?” Handong asked softly, and suddenly everything that Bora planned to say floated away as her mind went blank. Minji noticed Bora’s lack of words and tried to stall for the smaller girl.</p>
<p>“Sorry to bother you, but Bora wanted to say something to you…” Minji said as she nudged Bora, and Handong’s eyes met Bora’s, causing the smaller girl to gulp.</p>
<p>“ok, please don’t slam the door on us until after I'm done explaining, please?” Bora asked, and the door creaked open slightly wider as Handong tried to get a better look at Bora.</p>
<p>All Handong did was nod and signaled for Bora to continue.</p>
<p>“it’s Siyeon, she's in danger, and I came over to ask you for help…” Bora said, and Handong’s door opened all the way as she looked at the three with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Handong asked, and Bora cringed<em>. ‘now is when she's going to slam the door on me, I can feel it…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she sighed and started to explain.</p>
<p>“I come home late one night and find Siyeon… dead in our apartment… Siyeon is murdered by a stalker on the 28<sup>th</sup>… I know it sounds hard to believe, but you even showed up at her funeral…” Bora said as she paused and looked up at Handong to see the same expression that Minji and Yoohyeon had as they remembered the past events, and Bora paused in hope.</p>
<p>As Bora looked at Handong expectantly, but her expression quickly became neutral again as she signaled Bora to continue. Bora wilted slightly but continued with a sigh.</p>
<p>“on Sunday, but many days ago for me, Siyeon and I come back home from her concert and when we enter the apartment… her stalker was in there. I, I died that night. The last thing I remembered was you and Siyeon over me as you tried to stop the bleeding…” Bora said as she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. <em>‘well, at least the day didn’t repeat, but she doesn’t seem to remember…’</em> Bora thought to herself and started to ramble to Handong.</p>
<p>“look, I know it sounds crazy… I understand. I wouldn’t believe me either… sorry for taking up your time…” Bora said softly as she went to turn around but was stopped as a hand gently grabbed her wrist.</p>
<p>Bora had been avoiding Handong’s eyes after it seemed like she didn’t remember, and she was hesitant to see what look the quiet girl was giving her now. Disbelief? Like Bora is crazy? But as Bora’s eyes slowly looked into Handong’s, she noticed tears in the quiet girl's eyes.</p>
<p>“so, it really happened? I didn't just imagine it a second ago. These are real memories?” Handong asked softly, and Bora nodded, still a little confused when the quiet girl did something unexpected.</p>
<p>Bora was engulfed in a big hug as Handong started to cry. “you were bleeding so much! I, I tried everything I could think of… but it was too late… I'm so sorry, I couldn’t help you!” Handong sniffled as she hugged Bora tightly, and Bora sighed in relief that she could remember.</p>
<p>“it's ok, I already knew it was too late for me at that moment. I couldn’t breathe, and it was a struggle just to stay awake. But I tried… for Siyeon. But I just couldn’t hold on any longer.” Bora said as Handong still hugged her.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry you had to go through that. To see me like that… you didn’t deserve to be put in that situation…” Bora said, and Handong pulled back from her hug, and Bora looked at her puffy eyes.</p>
<p>“don’t be sorry, I would rather be there trying to help than finding out later and worry that maybe I could have noticed something or done something to help…” Handong said, and Bora smiled.</p>
<p>“that night when you tried to help me, it made me realize that I owe you an apology,” Bora said, and Handong looked at her confused, and Bora broke eye contact before continuing.</p>
<p>“instead of trying to get to know you like Siyeon, I didn’t even bother and judged you just because you are shy. It wasn’t until that night and yesterday that I realized that I owe you an apology. You may be shy, but you are extremely brave and come when someone needs help.” Bora said as Handong quietly listened.</p>
<p>“Yesterday Yoohyeon Minji and I were killed in an alley. Not one person walking by stopped to help or even went to see what happened. We died in a dirty alley, and no one helped us at all. One thing I thought of before I lost consciousness was ‘<em>Handong wasn’t afraid to come running to help.’</em> It showed me just how wrong I was about you.” Bora said, and Handong only smiled sadly.</p>
<p>“I don’t blame you for thinking that way. I know I am the cause of why most people view me like that. It's not your fault. I just don’t feel comfortable speaking in Korean and tend to shut myself off instead of trying to talk and make friends.” Handong said as Bora looked down. She was afraid of the quiet girl's expression. She was worried that Handong was looking at her with a look of disappointment.</p>
<p>“well, you know that we can be your friends, right? Now that you are talking to us, plus Yoohyeon can speak Chinese.” Minji said in a classic Minji smile.</p>
<p>Handong quickly looked over to Yoohyeon and noticed her blushing. “I do, but I'm very self-conscious about speaking it. I worry I sound horrible…” Yoohyeon said as Handong smiled.</p>
<p>“that’s how I feel about Korean. If you like, I could help you, and if I make any mistakes, maybe you can help me with Korean too?” Handong asked, and Yoohyeon smiled excitedly.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t trust Yoohyeon on that one. She may be Korean, but… well anyway… if you need help, you can always ask one of us too.” Minji said and quickly changed what she was going to say due to the death glares her girlfriend was giving her, and Handong smiled.</p>
<p>“so, what can I do to help?” Handong asked as she directed the conversation back on track.</p>
<p>“well, we need to try to figure out who Siyeon’s stalker is and try to stop this, but I don’t know where to begin. Yesterday obviously didn’t end well…” Bora said, and Handong nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“well, explain everything that happened, and we can see if you missed something from yesterday,” Handong said as she opened the door and signaled the others to come inside. After some hesitation, the three entered and looked around. Yoohyeon found Handong’s cat right away and was distracted for several minutes while Bora elaborated on the night of Siyeon’s death, her first death, and then yesterday.</p>
<p>“oh, baby?” Minji asked, catching Yoohyeon’s attention from the cat, and the taller girl wandered over.</p>
<p>“yes?” Yoohyeon asked as she looked at Minji with a bright smile.</p>
<p>“Why did you end up in that alley anyway? You were following Siyeon.” Minji asked, and Yoohyeon thought for a second before she remembered with an ‘oh!’ and explained.</p>
<p>“Siyeon walked into a building. I walked closer and realized it must be her practice rooms for her and her band. I remember Siyeon saying she will sing for at least an hour when she goes, so I turned around to look for you, but you two were gone. I panicked and went looking for you. It was just luck I looked down that alley and spotted you two.” Yoohyeon said, and Bora scoffed.</p>
<p>“yeah, BAD LUCK! If you hadn’t, then at least one less would have died yesterday…” Bora said, and Minji nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“I still can't get the images of you, shielding me with your body and hearing you cry out as he stabbed you. It… well, I don’t think I will ever forget it…” Minji said, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“but at least I was there with you. I just wish I could have stopped him from hurting you. There was so much blood…” Yoohyeon said, and Minji hugged her as she kissed her to ward off Yoohyeon’s incoming tears.</p>
<p>After some time, Bora and the others had finished going over the details of what had happened, and Handong sat there quietly as she organized her thoughts.</p>
<p>“so Yoohyeon, you said that even though Siyeon was given something for free, she still paid for it as she left?” Handong asked, and Yoohyeon nodded.</p>
<p>“one employee just smiled like it was expected, but one frowned. I found it a bit suspicious, but they were both working the day we died.” Yoohyeon said, and Handong thought for a second before continuing.</p>
<p>“Are you sure that they continued to work all day?” Handong asked, and the three looked at her with blank expressions. “if they are part-time, then they may not work all day, and we don’t know their hours. You also said that he wasn’t spotted right away, it took a bit. I think we need to look more into the coffee shop employees, and at least it gives us a place to start. We may be able to rule them out.” Handong said, and everyone nodded now in understanding.</p>
<p>“Also I don’t think your idea of batons is a bad idea, but I don’t know how to use one and no offense to Yoohyeon, but I don’t see her being able to use one very well either,” Handong said, and everyone giggled at Yoohyeon’s gasp.</p>
<p>They were learning rather quickly that once Handong felt comfortable with someone, she wouldn’t hold back at chances to tease her friends.</p>
<p>“don’t worry about that. We have someone that can teach us. Siyeon’s sister is dating someone who used to be in training to be a bodyguard. One of the things she was good at was a baton. I'm sure she will teach us.” Minji said as Bora groaned again. Handong raised a single brow at Bora’s exasperation, and Minji giggled.</p>
<p>“Bora doesn’t like Dami because she’s Siyeon’s number one fan, and it makes her jealous,” Minji said as Bora stood up abruptly.</p>
<p>“I am not jealous of Dami!” Bora said as the couple rolled their eyes, and Handong looked on highly entertained.</p>
<p>“you hate it that Siyeon treats her well because she’s Gahyeon’s girlfriend, and Dami goes to all of Siyeon’s concerts…” Yoohyeon said flatly, and Bora sighed in frustration and decided to give the two the silent treatment as she turned her attention to Handong.</p>
<p>“Anyway, we have someone to help with the batons, and we would really appreciate your help going over things,” Bora said, and Handong nodded before smiling.</p>
<p>“I will be glad to help. I'm just sad that Yoohyeon and Minji lost those pictures. It would be good for us to look at them and see if we recognize anyone that starts showing up around Siyeon. Also, I suggest that we all go to her concert and spread out to watch the crowd. I'm 100% sure that the killer would be at her concerts. After all, he made an appearance after her concert.” Handong said, and they nodded, impressed at how well Handong was handling this.</p>
<p>“wait, you said that this Dami girl is Siyeon’s number one fan, right?” Handong asked, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, why?” Bora asked as she watched Handong think.</p>
<p>“well, does Siyeon have a fansite?” Handong asked, and Bora rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“of course. DAMI is the creator…” Bora said, and Handong smiled.</p>
<p>“well, that may help us then. If anyone would notice someone always there, wouldn’t it be the fansite manager?” Handong asked, and Bora’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“plus, most likely, the stalker may be part of the fansite. Who better to ask than the one who runs it?” Handong asked, and Bora agreed but was hesitant about pulling Dami and Gahyeon into this.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Handong asked, and Bora sighed. The quiet girl could read others so well and could just see Bora’s hesitation.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to pull Dami and Gahyeon into this if I can help it. I don’t want them dying too because of me…” Bora said as she frowned, and Handong smiled. Even though Bora acted like she didn’t like Dami, she didn’t want to see her get hurt, and Handong found it cute.</p>
<p>“We don’t have to tell her everything. We can do it like you did with Minji and Yoohyeon yesterday. I'm sure Dami would gladly help you try to find a stalker. But… if I were them and found out later what happened, I would be upset about being left out. Especially Siyeon’s sister. Wouldn’t she be upset that you didn’t come to her? It's her sister, after all.” Handong said, and Bora had to admit Handong made a good point. Gahyeon would never forgive her if she were left out of this.</p>
<p>Bora finally sighed as she pulled out her cell and sighed as she hit a number and waited for someone to answer.</p>
<p>“hey… I think we need to talk. Can you come over? Yeah, both of you…” bora asked, and shortly after, she hung up and looked at the group.</p>
<p>“They will be here in fifteen minutes… I hope I'm making the right decision…” bora said nervously as she started pacing.</p>
<p>“well, we are already better than yesterday! We were dead by now, so I think that we are off to a good start!” Yoohyeon said optimistically, but bora couldn’t help but feel like she was making huge a mistake somewhere.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Big Mistake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘why do I feel like I will regret this?’ Bora thought to herself. As the time ticked by, Bora’s anxiety rose, and finally, her phone pinged, letting her know that the two had arrived. With an anxious sigh, Bora left the apartment to greet the two and bring them back to Handong’s apartment.</p>
<p>“bigger sis!” Gahyeon shouted as she ran and hugged Bora around the neck as Dami walked coolly up to stand beside Gahyeon. It was so funny to see her like this and know that as soon as Siyeon walks in, shes so animated and cute. It would always blow Bora’s mind, and she started to wonder if Dami had multiple personalities. But according to Gahyeon, Dami is the same cute and bubbly girl when the two were alone. Gahyeon said that it was part of Dami’s bodyguard training, and it just stuck.</p>
<p>Dami nodded as she showed a faint smile, and Bora brought them inside. After getting off of the elevator, Gahyeon went to walk past Handong’s door to Bora and Siyeon’s and was confused when Bora stopped her and knocked on Handong’s door instead.</p>
<p>“whats going on?” Gahyeon asked as Handong opened the door and let the three of them inside. Bora didn’t know how to explain, so she looked pleadingly at Handong, but the Chinese girl seemed shy around the two newcomers, and Bora sighed.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon? Dami? This is Handong.” Bora said as the three greeted each other shyly. “I know you two are probably curious as to why I asked the two of you to come over…” Bora said, and Gahyeon gave a ‘duh’ expression as she looked around to spot Minji and Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“Okay, what's going on? I'm starting to get worried…” Gahyeon said as she looked around. “wheres Siyeon?” Gahyeon asked as she looked around for her sister and couldn’t find her.</p>
<p>“that’s what we brought you here to talk about…” Bora said as she looked to Minji and Yoohyeon for support. The two walked over to stand beside Bora as she tried to build up the confidence to speak.</p>
<p>“ok, I'm an idiot…” Bora said, and the two looked at her, not understanding what she meant.</p>
<p>“Siyeon is in trouble, and it's my fault because I didn’t believe her when she first tried to talk to me about it… now it's dangerous…” Bora said, and Gahyeon grabbed Dami’s arm strongly in shock as she looked from person to person. Everyone nodded, telling her that Bora was telling the truth.</p>
<p>“ok, whats happened?” Gahyeon asked softly. She was afraid of what she will hear, but she knew that she needs to know. And the way Bora was acting told her that this was indeed serious, especially if she would involve Gahyeon and Dami. It was no secret to the two that Bora was extremely protective of them even though she acted like she hated Dami.</p>
<p>“Siyeon has a stalker, and it seems to be getting dangerous…” Bora said as Dami and Gahyeon looked at each other with startled expressions. “we are trying to figure out a way to stop him without putting Siyeon in danger. You know that she would do something stupid just so we wouldn’t risk ourselves for her.” Bora added quickly. She knew that they were just going to ask why they didn’t talk to Siyeon about it, and Bora was still debating on if she should tell them everything.</p>
<p>“When did this start?” Dami asked, and Bora sighed as she signaled them that she would be right back. She decided to get her copy of the journal and see what happens if she shows it to the others. ‘please don’t let this fuck everything up…’ Bora thought as she walked into the apartment and went to fetch her journal out of the apartment. She walked over to the bed and reached under the mattress until she found the book and pulled it out, holding it gently afraid of damaging it as she walked towards the front door. As she slid her shoes back on, Bora could swear that she heard a noise in the apartment.</p>
<p>She froze for a second and looked around. Nothing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and Bora shrugged it off. ‘I must be paranoid now. It's not like he's in the apartment. Siyeon should still be at the coffee shop…’ Bora thought to herself as she shook her head and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.</p>
<p>As she walked up to Handong’s door, the door swung open, catching the smaller girl off guard. “I heard your door closing,” Handong said as she smiled and let her inside. Bora walked over to the group, and everyone grew quiet as they noticed the journal in her hands.</p>
<p>Minji gripped Yoohyeon’s arm, and Handong gulped, knowing what it was. Gahyeon and Dami didn’t know why it was so important, but they also could feel the importance as Bora held it carefully and set it down on Handong’s coffee table.</p>
<p>“I…” Bora went to talk when they heard what sounded like a door closing, and everyone's eyes went wide as they looked from person to person.</p>
<p>“was that from my apartment?” Bora asked softly, and Handong nodded. Time seemed to freeze for a second, and then everything went by lightning fast as everyone bolted for the door and ran down the hall to the stairwell trying to catch whoever was in Bora’s apartment.</p>
<p>‘I knew I heard something!’  Bora thought to herself as she mentally berated herself for not checking more thoroughly as she threw herself down the stairs two to three at a time. She was the first down the stairs and out the door to see someone dressed in all black walking out of the building.</p>
<p>As Bora went to chase after him, Yoohyeon burst through the door with a loud noise as she looked around.</p>
<p>Slowly the man in black turned around to spot the two girls looking at him as the others flooded out of the stairwell, and for a split second, it felt like time stopped for Bora as she looked at Siyeon’s killer, at HER killer. Suddenly two streaks flew past her as Gahyeon and Dami chased after him.</p>
<p>“no!” Bora shouted as she and the others raced after the two younger girls. They were fast, but Yoohyeon was faster and managed to tackle the two before the stalker took a quick turn down an alley. Most likely trying to lead them to a trap.</p>
<p>“damn it you two, do you know how dangerous and STUPID that was?!?” Yoohyeon shouted as the three girls untangled themselves from each other on the ground. Bora finally caught up while breathing heavily, just as Gahyeon and Dami untangled themselves and stood up.</p>
<p>Bora flung herself at the two and burst out into tears. “idiots!” Bora shouted loudly as the two cringed. She was shouting right beside their ears, but she didn’t care. What is a little tinnitus? They are alive! “you almost got yourselves killed!” Bora shouted as she clung to the two.</p>
<p>Gahyeon looked over to Dami in shock. Bora was trembling severely, and they had never seen her so upset before. “Bora, we are ok… what's wrong?” Gahyeon asked softly as she stroked Bora’s head, trying to calm her tears, but Bora continued to cry heavily as she clung to the two younger girls.</p>
<p>Bora’s trembling got worse as Minji and Handong caught up to them, and Gahyeon looked up at Minji worriedly as Bora’s crying continued with no end in sight. ‘maybe this is just too much for Bora…’ Minji wondered nervously as they walked the crying girl back to Handong’s apartment.</p>
<p>Bora was trying to get ahold of herself, but she just couldn’t seem to calm down. It wasn’t until Yoohyeon threatened to call Siyeon that the tears started to slow. After a couple of minutes, Bora finally had control of herself again and gently grabbed the journal from the table.</p>
<p>Everyone went still as Bora took a deep breath and started to explain everything. “Gahyeon, the person you and Dami were just chasing wasn’t just some burglar… he is Siyeon’s stalker…” Bora said, and the two tensed in surprise at the news.</p>
<p>“how was he inside your apartment?” Dami asked, and Bora shook her head. She didn’t know how he got in there either, and she would love to find out.</p>
<p>“Siyeon noticed him around…” Bora paused as she opened the journal and flipped the pages until she found the fifth entry. And began to read the entry aloud.</p>
<p>“Day five. I think that someone is following me. I'm not sure if it’s all in my head, but when I left the coffee shop for the last couple of days, I have caught glimpses of the same person in all black. When I look at them, they will never make eye contact and speed walk away. Am I just being paranoid?” Bora said as everyone looked at each other nervously and leaned in to look at the entry Bora pointed at.</p>
<p>Bora froze, expecting to have the day reset, but instead, everything remained the same. “that is definitely my sister's handwriting…” Gahyeon said as she looked up to Bora with a worried expression. “how many days ago was this?”  Gahyeon asked, and Bora thought back.</p>
<p>“um, I bought the journal for Siyeon on the 1st. that would make this entry the fifth…” Bora said aloud as she looked at Siyeon’s little sister.</p>
<p>“But today is the 22nd… that means he has been stalking her for weeks! Did she ever try to tell you?” Gahyeon asked, and Bora’s expression changed to one that was ashamed. Gahyeon could guess what that meant.</p>
<p>“you didn’t believe her, did you?” Gahyeon asked softly. She wasn’t accusing Bora just stating the question, and Bora nodded sadly.</p>
<p>“I'm so sorry for not listening to her!” Bora said, and Gahyeon gently squeezed her arm to comfort her. She was going to hug Bora, but she was still holding the journal.</p>
<p>“it’s right here… Day seven… I tried to tell Bora that I'm being followed. She didn’t believe me. She said I'm just being paranoid. Am I? Probably. I'm such a fool. Who would actually stalk me? I'm nothing special…” Bora choked on the last part. She felt horrible reading this entry again. The way Siyeon talked down to herself hurt Bora because she knew if she had just listened back then, it might have not gotten this out of hand.</p>
<p>“Siyeon…” Gahyeon said sadly as tears threatened to fall. And everyone was surprised at the entry. Besides Bora and Gahyeon, no one really knew the true Siyeon that was soft and full of self-doubts, and it shocked them to read it in Siyeon’s own handwriting.</p>
<p>“Is there more?” Handong asked, and Bora nodded. Her expression showed them how hard this was on her as she fought another breakdown.</p>
<p>“Day fourteen… I have given up on trying to convince Bora that someone is really following me. But he scares me. If it is a HE. I don’t even know. I feel so jumpy all the time! Like he will be around any corner! I don’t even feel comfortable going to the grocery store anymore! But I can't tell Bora that. She works so hard, and I don’t want her, thinking that I'm a coward. You can work through this, Siyeon! For, For Bora…” the smaller girl read as she clutched the book tightly, trying to gain control of herself.</p>
<p>The group waited, knowing not to try to push her. Finally, she looked up at Gahyeon and Dami. “the next part is where things start to sound unbelievable, but please wait until the end?” Bora asked, and the two nodded.</p>
<p>“Day twenty-one…I don’t even know why I'm still writing this. Maybe for a record of me just in case, anything happens to me. I'm pretty sure something WILL happen to me now. I see him everywhere when I go out. I have tried varying my schedule, but it's like he just knows and is there. I'm sure it's him due to his same outfit. It NEVER changes…I debated trying to tell Bora again, but I just can't. I don’t want her to think I'm crazy, and I'm starting to think I really am going crazy. What if this guy is all in my head? Should I seek help?” Bora read aloud, and once she was done, she looked up with a guilty expression to Gahyeon.</p>
<p>Unlike what Bora expected, Gahyeon didn’t look like she was blaming her. Instead, she looked truly worried for Bora and Siyeon. “is there more?” Gahyeon asked softly. She knew that the entry was written yesterday, but she could see that much more was written, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“ask questions after I finish this, please? I promise to explain everything right after…” Bora asked, and the two nodded as Gahyeon clung to her girlfriend for support.</p>
<p>“Day twenty-eight… Bora has some reunion today. I'm afraid to even be alone now. Should I ask her not to go? No. that would be selfish. I don’t want to make her miserable just for my happiness… I can deal with being without her for a couple of hours, right? God, I hope so… but just in case…”</p>
<p>Bora paused briefly, gulping knowing what was coming next, but when she went to speak, she just couldn’t. Her tears choked her, and Bora looked over to Minji pleadingly.</p>
<p>Minji walked over and gently grabbed the journal and scanned the page to find where to continue.</p>
<p>“Bora, I love you so much. I just want you to know that. And if anything happens to me, it’s not anyone's fault. If something does happen. Please tell my sister I love her and even her dorky girlfriend. Tell my parents I love them too, please? Hopefully, this is all in my head, and you will never have to read this. But just in case, you were the best thing to happen in my life, and even if something happens to me, I wouldn’t change a thing if it meant not being with you. I love you, Bora. So much…” Minji’s voice trailed off as she looked over at Bora, who was struggling. Rereading the journal brought everything up again, and it still felt like yesterday that she held Siyeon’s cold body.</p>
<p>“Bora?” Minji called, and Bora’s head snapped up. She didn’t know how long her best friend had been calling her, but judging from everyone's worried expressions, it had been a while. Bora grunted, acknowledging Minji, and she repeated her question.</p>
<p>“do you want me to continue reading?” Minji asked, and Bora could only nod as she looked away.</p>
<p>“This isn’t in Siyeon’s handwriting. It's in Bora’s…” Minji said as she looked at Gahyeon and Dami. The two were confused at that but signaled her to read.</p>
<p>“Siyeon, I'm so sorry, I love you too. It’s like time is frozen here without you. Everything is so empty, I feel completely empty without you. I swear that I can feel you sometimes. I can see you out of the corners of my eyes. I wish I could change this! I wish I could go back! I wish I could rewrite all of this! Where you're alive and don’t have to pretend to be ok for fear I won't believe you! I'm so sorry, Siyeon. Please, I wish I could go back… I wish I could make everything right…” Minji read softly.</p>
<p>Minji’s eyes went wide at the end. This is what put everything into motion. The repeating was from this one entry. As Minji read the entries, she noticed something and looked to Bora.</p>
<p>“why are some entries crossed out again?” Minji asked, and Bora looked over guiltily.</p>
<p>“I was upset, it's not like crossing them out would erase the things that were written there, but it was all I could do…” Bora said, and Minji nodded.</p>
<p>“The days I crossed out are the days I can repeat…” Bora said as everyone looked up at her, shocked. Bora had explained the journal to them but never this part, so it was news to everyone.</p>
<p>Minji set the journal down gently on the table, and Handong handed her a bookmark to hold their place just in case there was more to read and closed the thick book when Dami spoke.</p>
<p>“repeating?” Dami asked, looking extremely confused, and Bora just nodded.</p>
<p>“why did Siyeon’s last entry say day 28?  It isn’t the 28th yet… and why did you write in her journal? You made it sound like she died…” Gahyeon said, and everyone's expression went grim.</p>
<p>“because the stalker kills Siyeon on the 28th while I'm at a reunion with Minji. I come home to find her dead… I believe I passed out and woke up in the hospital two days later. You and your parents waited to have the funeral until I woke up. You two were beside me as everyone visited her memorial…” Bora said and looked at them to see the expression she learned meant that they were starting to remember.</p>
<p>Gahyeon crumpled to the floor as memories flooded back to her, and the calm and quiet Dami held her as they cried at the memories.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, I didn’t want to tell you and make you remember such bad things, but Handong said that if it was her in this situation, she would rather help than find out later when it's too late…” Bora said, and Gahyeon hugged her tightly as she looked over to Handong with a grateful expression.</p>
<p>“she was right. I would never forgive you if I found out that you didn’t tell me when my sister was in danger…” Gahyeon said as she smiled at Handong, who shyly smiled back before disappearing into the kitchen as her shyness flared up.</p>
<p>“How is this even possible?” Dami asked, and everyone shrugged.</p>
<p>“We don’t know how we just know that the journal is the key to it. If Siyeon or I die, it repeats.” Bora said, and Minji looked over with a question.</p>
<p>“Does that mean that if you had survived, just Yoohyeon and I would have died?” Minji asked, but Bora didn’t have an answer for that.</p>
<p>“I, I don’t know. Every time I have restarted, I died…” Bora said, and Gahyeon looked at her wanting to ask something but hesitated.</p>
<p>“what is it, Gahyeon?” Bora asked. She had noticed the younger girl's hesitation, and Gahyeon smiled.</p>
<p>“so you don’t know if it will repeat if Siyeon dies or not?” Gahyeon asked, and Bora looked at her, not understanding.</p>
<p>“what do you mean?” Bora asked, and Gahyeon tried to remember everything that Bora had told her.</p>
<p>“well, you said that the days you have repeated so far were all triggered by YOUR death. We don’t know what would happen if Siyeon dies. Especially if everything revolves around her, to begin with…” Gahyeon said, and everyone looked at each other.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even think of that…” Bora said as she looked around. ‘I really need to learn the rules of this damn journal. I wish it came with instructions!’ Bora thought to herself frustratedly.</p>
<p>Bora and the others continued to explain everything, and Minji brought up the batons with Dami. The girl agreed to teach the others and luckily had two in her car just in case of emergencies and asked Gahyeon to bring a couple from home, and the younger girl agreed.</p>
<p>It was an hour later, and there were no signs of Gahyeon when everyone started to get worried.</p>
<p>“do you have any idea what's taking Gahyeon so long?” Bora asked worriedly as she paced around, and Dami could only shake her head. She had no idea and was starting to grow worried as well.</p>
<p>“try calling her…” Minji said as she walked over worriedly. Dami quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Gahyeon’s number, but it rang until they heard her voicemail. The group grew tense as Dami tried two more times with no answer.</p>
<p>“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Dami chanted as she started to freak out. She ran her fingers through her short hair as she tapped the corner of her phone against her temple while pacing in circles when she finally remembered something important.</p>
<p>“the tracker!” Dami shouted as she unlocked her phone and searched through her apps until she found the one she was looking for.</p>
<p>“tracker?” Handong asked as she walked closer, and the younger girl nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, Gahyeon and I both have this app on our phones so that just in case something bad happens, we can find each other by our phones!” Dami said as she tried to log into the app. She was so panicked and nervous that she was repeatedly messing up, and on her last attempt, she managed to log in, and there on the map was a bright red dot indicating Gahyeon’s location, and it was moving.</p>
<p>“what?” Dami whispered as she looked at the map in confusion. Gahyeon was on the wrong side of town. Their house was in the complete opposite direction, and when Dami told them that everyone gathered their things and raced to their cars. Yoohyeon had Dami drive hers as she rode with Minji. Handong didn’t have a car yet, so she rode with Bora as everyone started their cars and followed Dami’s lead.</p>
<p>After several minutes, Bora pulled to a stop beside Dami’s and Minji’s cars. They were at what looked like an abandoned house out in the middle of nowhere, and they knew that Gahyeon would never go here by herself. They doubted if Gahyeon even knew this place existed, which led them to only one thought…</p>
<p> Everyone exited their cars quietly, trying not to make much noise, and soon, Bora’s phone pinged, telling her that she had a new text message from Gahyeon. As she went to read it, Dami’s phone pinged with the same message.</p>
<p>THE BABY &lt;3</p>
<p>This message means that (lee Gahyeon) is in danger and is in need of assistance. Here is her current location.</p>
<p>[picture]</p>
<p>Bora looked over to Dami with a questioning expression as Dami read the message.</p>
<p>“it's from the app, it means that she has sent a distress signal from either her phone or her smartwatch. Most likely, this person has her phone, so she probably sent it from her watch. Thank god for this app!” Dami whispered as she extended her baton and gave the spare to Minji, who, besides Dami, had the most knowledge on how to use it, and they slowly walked into the abandoned house.</p>
<p>Everything was dark and dusty as they looked around for Gahyeon, but nothing stood out. As they stepped, crunching noises were heard from the debris on the floor.</p>
<p>“well, so much for being sneaky, huh?” Dami whispered, and Bora nodded as they kept their eyes scanning everything while searching the house. Living room, kitchen, everything on the first floor was clear, that leaves two places.</p>
<p>“go up and get trapped…” Bora whispered.</p>
<p>“or go down and get trapped…” Minji finished as they weighed their options. Where do they search first? Finally, they decided to check upstairs first, and after many stressful minutes, there was nothing.</p>
<p>“well, that only leaves one place…” Handong said nervously as they descended into the dark basement. Their eyes took a couple seconds to adjust as they looked around, and soon they saw what they were looking for.</p>
<p>Gahyeon was tied to a chair and gagged. Her head was drooped forward, and there was no movement from her that they could see. Bora prayed that she was just unconscious as they slowly descended the creaky stairs. Each creak made their stomachs clench, and they wished that Gahyeon would look up, but she didn’t.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon?” Dami whispered softly as she signaled everyone to wait as she walked forward slowly. There were still no signs of life from the smaller girl, and everyone felt like the air was too thick as they had a hard time breathing.</p>
<p>“Please, Gahyeon, say something?” Dami said as she lifted her head up and gently patted Gahyeon’s cheek after removing the gag from her mouth. As the pats got stronger, Gahyeon started to stir slightly. Everyone breathed out in relief as they saw Gahyeon’s head move. She is alive, and everyone was relieved as Dami tried to untie her.</p>
<p>‘Why are we here? She was unconscious, so was she just knocked out after sending the signal? Or was it sent by him to lure us here?’ Bora thought to herself as she looked up just in time to cry out to Dami.</p>
<p>“to your left!” Bora shouted as Dami quickly swung the baton around, barely missing the stalker as he dodged the baton and struck out with his knife. Dami smashed the baton down on his wrist hard, and he cried out in pain before switching hands. Quickly Dami shifted herself so that her body was in between him and Gahyeon as she fought to protect her girlfriend.</p>
<p>Minji ran forward to try to help Dami, but she was quickly knocked down by a kick from the stalker, and her baton skidded on the floor to stop at Gahyeon’s feet.</p>
<p>Bora finally understood why she had felt so uneasy from telling Gahyeon as she watched the younger girl quickly pick up the baton and lunged in to land a strong hit to the side of the stalker's face. Knocking off his hat in the process. It was too dark to see what color the stalker's hair was, but they now knew the length.</p>
<p>Gahyeon got confident with her lucky strike and tried to go in for another when Dami shouted. Before Dami could react, the knife pierced Gahyeon’s stomach with a sickening sound as Dami screamed. Dami lunged forward towards her falling girlfriend and caught her right before Gahyeon hit the ground.</p>
<p>Everyone just stood there in shock as they watched Gahyeon fall in what seemed like slow motion and didn’t know how to react.</p>
<p>Dami looked up to her left at the killer just in time to see the knife coming at her slashing a deep gash on the left side of her neck.  Bora screamed as she started running and heard Handong shout and barely had time to react as she dropped to the ground.</p>
<p>“Bora! down!” Handong shouted as she pulled out something from her pocket and fired at the killer as Bora dropped just in time as Handong ordered.</p>
<p>Two cords shot out with a hissing sound as they struck the killer, and Handong held the trigger. They heard electricity buzzing and screams from the killer as the taser gun proceeded to shock him. Sadly because of the distance, the probes went slightly wide and the second probe only barely struck into the skin on his arm, and as his muscles reacted to the electricity, it ripped the second probe out breaking the connection and stopping the electricity, and he quickly ripped the first probe from his chest as he bolted and smashed into what seemed like a way outside and was gone in seconds.</p>
<p>The group ran over to the two injured people and noticed Dami desperately trying to hold pressure to her neck with one hand as bright red blood gushed from underneath her hand to her pulse, and Gahyeon’s stab wound with the other as tears streaked down her face.</p>
<p>Blood continued to pour underneath Dami’s hand on her neck, but it was slowing, and she looked up with a pleading expression at Bora as she talked weakly.</p>
<p>“Please, tell me that Gahyeon will be ok? I don’t care if I die, but please tell me the journal will bring her back?” Dami whispered as her eyes started to flutter closed, and she started leaning towards Gahyeon, and soon, her strength gave out as she collapsed onto Gahyeon, who was fading slowly as well.</p>
<p>The younger girl was fading in and out of consciousness as she looked at Dami’s body draped over hers and started to sob. No one knew what to do, Handong had quickly called for an ambulance, but with them being so far from any hospital, they knew that Gahyeon didn’t have a chance, and soon Gahyeon’s sobs became weaker and weaker until the soft sounds stopped completely.</p>
<p>Bora’s knees went out from under her as she watched Gahyeon taking her last breaths, and Bora’s chest hurt so much. Her chest squeezed with anguish at the loss of Gahyeon and Dami.</p>
<p>Bora reached shaky hands towards the two still girls when everyone heard something that made their hearts drop.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon? Gahyeon! Where are you?” they heard Siyeon’s voice shouting as she searched the house. Bora’s eyes went wide as she looked up towards the doorway that her girlfriend just ran through desperately in search of her sister only to see Bora kneeling over the bodies of her little sister and her girlfriend.</p>
<p>Siyeon froze, and you could watch the color drain from her face as she screamed and ran towards Gahyeon and Dami. Bora shifted back, allowing Siyeon to hold the two as she struggled to fight back tears as she watched Siyeon cry in grief as she cradled Gahyeon’s head gently in her lap.</p>
<p>“Please, please wake up, Gahyeon!” Siyeon whispered softly. “I'm sorry I'm late, but I'm here now, so please open your eyes!” Siyeon cried out as she hugged her sister close and gently stroked her cooling cheek.</p>
<p>Bora was holding Dami in her arms, and when Siyeon looked to her for news, she shook her head. Dami was gone, as well. The killer had sliced her left carotid artery, and bright red blood drenched the short-haired girl's body.</p>
<p>Siyeon’s cries of anguish were heard throughout the house as she cried for the loss of her sister as the EMS arrived. The paramedics followed the cries, and police questioned the group as they explained everything.</p>
<p>Siyeon was beyond distraught. She had just found out her stalker had just kidnapped her little sister and murdered her and Dami while trying to lure her to him.</p>
<p>“it's all my fault… Siyeon whispered softly as Bora held her. The smaller girl was stroking her back or hair trying to comfort her, but nothing was stopping the pain that Siyeon was feeling. She felt like the loss was crushing her chest and every breath hurt knowing that her sister couldn’t breathe anymore. She wouldn’t laugh her annoying laugh anymore. She wouldn’t be able to hear her on the phone, hug her or tell Gahyeon her problems and worries anymore.</p>
<p>This murder took her sister away from her, and Siyeon just couldn’t handle it.</p>
<p>After the police questioned everyone and they were released home Bora took Siyeon home and held her until Siyeon finally fell asleep while crying.</p>
<p>‘Are they really gone? Why isn’t the day repeating?’ Bora thought to herself as she fought back her tears. She didn’t want to cry and wake up Siyeon, so she stifled her sobs and held Siyeon tightly until she finally drifted off to a restless sleep from sheer exhaustion.</p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora woke up feeling exhausted and looked over to see Siyeon sleeping soundly. As Bora went to reach for her phone to check the date, she found the journal in her hand again. Gently Bora sat up careful not to wake Siyeon and opened the journal to the back and ran her fingers along the edges of the torn pages, and counted one more missing page.</p>
<p>‘a restart? But I didn’t die, so how?’ Bora thought to herself and went to set the journal down on the nightstand when she noticed something sticking out of the journal. Curiously she opened it up to find a cute kitten bookmark tucked into the book and picked it up as she looked at it with a confused expression.</p>
<p>Finally, she remembered Handong handing Minji a bookmark earlier, and she looked at it in shock. Quickly she tucked the bookmark back into the journal and checked the date on her cellphone.</p>
<p>‘November 22nd… again. But how did that bookmark get here then?’ Bora thought to herself, and she remembered the day before. Siyeon’s grief and suddenly, Minji’s words from yesterday echoed inside her head.</p>
<p>“Does that mean that if you had survived, just Yoohyeon and I would have died?” Minji had asked, and Bora’s thoughts immediately went to Gahyeon and Dami.</p>
<p>‘oh, god… they died, but I didn’t…’ Bora thought to herself as she paled at the meaning behind those words. ‘please tell me that I'm wrong!’ Bora thought as she looked over to Siyeon, who was starting to stir. ‘please tell me she remembers them…’ Bora thought as she rolled over and gently woke Siyeon.</p>
<p>“Hey, baby? You remember Gahyeon and Dami, right?” Bora asked as Siyeon scrunched up her face in confusion.</p>
<p>“huh? What are you talking about?” Siyeon asked as she looked at Bora with a confused expression, and all the blood rushed out of Bora’s face as she froze in the bed.</p>
<p>‘oh, god… no…’ bora thought as panic rose in her chest, and she stared at Siyeon in disbelief.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Watching you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Bora was frozen in shock at Siyeon’s statement, and her ears started to ring as her blood pressure started to rise from the panic that she almost missed what Siyeon said next.</p><p>“Why do I have this feeling of déjà vu?” Siyeon asked as she looked with sleepy eyes at Bora. “I feel like you have asked me something like this recently… and why are you asking about my sister and her girlfriend so early in the morning?” Siyeon asked in a sleepy and confused voice.</p><p>Bora had woken up at least an hour earlier than she would usually on the restart days, so when she woke up Siyeon, the younger girl was not ready to wake up. Siyeon was nowhere near functioning right now.</p><p>Bora couldn’t help but breath a sigh of relief as she smiled and hugged her sleepy and slightly grumpy girlfriend. Siyeon instantly softened as the smaller girl's arms wrapped around her to snuggle, and Siyeon just couldn’t stop the smile that came across her lips as Bora snuggled underneath her chin.</p><p>Bora was so relieved that Gahyeon and Dami were alive that she couldn’t help herself and snuggled with Siyeon until they would normally wake up, and then Bora told the same story to Siyeon and walked over to Minji and Yoohyeon’s.</p><p>Bora was so ecstatic to know that the two were alive that she pounded rather loudly on to Minji’s door, and like yesterday Minji swung the door wide while yelling at her.</p><p>Bora ran and hugged Minji’s neck as she shouted loudly into Minji’s ear as Yoohyeon walks into the room.</p><p>“what is she shrieking about so early?” Yoohyeon asked as she walked out of the room and jiggled a finger in her ear, acting like she was going deaf.</p><p>“she keeps shouting ‘they are alive! We didn’t kill them!’ over and over again…” Minji says as she looks at her tiny friend with worry. Bora rolled her eyes, knowing that they were thinking that she sounded and looked crazy right now, but in a couple of seconds, she knew that they would be jumping around in excitement with her.</p><p>“Yesterday I told you about Siyeon’s stalker and how he has killed Siyeon, me, and the three of us together one of the days and that I'm repeating days. We decided to ask our neighbor Handong for help, and you suggested to bring Dami and Gahyeon into this too…” Bora rattled off quickly, trying to get this out of the way quickly and inhaled another large breath to continue her rapid explanation.</p><p>“Gahyeon and Dami agreed to help us, and Gahyeon went to pick up more batons from her house when she went missing because the stalker kidnapped her and Dami tracked her on her cellphone, and we followed her there to see her and Dami die in front of us!” Bora finished with a wheeze as she looked at the two knowing that the look they were giving meant that they were remembering and waited patiently.</p><p>Finally, the expressions faded as the two girls blinked a couple times slowly as the information sunk in. Minji looked up quickly in surprise as she finally understood what Bora’s chanting of ‘they are alive! We didn’t kill them!’ meant and quickly ran up to hug Bora strongly.</p><p>“so, they are alive?” Minji asked, and Bora nodded before freezing.</p><p>“well, Siyeon remembers them, so I think that’s a good sign. I think we need to tell Handong the good news and figure out what happened yesterday. Plus, I want to know where she got that taser…” Bora said as the others nodded and walked over to Handong’s door.</p><p>Bora knew by now the time Siyeon would leave the apartment. Plus, with how quickly Handong decided to help them yesterday, they decided to go over to give them a slight time advantage now that they knew that the stalker would go into the apartment once Siyeon leaves.</p><p>The group stood outside Handong’s door with nervousness as Bora quickly knocked. Just like last time, there was a sound of shuffling, and Handong only opened her door a crack looking at the group suspiciously.</p><p>Bora quickly told Handong what happened to trigger her memories to return, and as soon as Handong remembered, she snatched Bora inside and ushered the others inside quickly.</p><p>“so, they are alive?” Handong asked as she looked at the group with a worried expression, and they nodded.</p><p>“well, we believe so. I was waiting to call them to check once everyone remembered,” Bora said and was surprised when the usually quiet Chinese girl shouted at her anxiously.</p><p>“well, go ahead then and call them!  I really hope that they are truly ok…” Handong said, and Bora quickly pulled out her cell and then hesitated.</p><p>“but what all should we tell them? Last time we got them killed…” Bora said, and Handong rolled her eyes at Bora.</p><p>“they most likely died because they didn’t know all of the facts soon enough. If they knew the facts about the stalker also being a murderer, do you think they would have chased after him so obviously?” Handong asked as the others paused to think for a second.</p><p>“Gahyeon definitely would.  But Dami wouldn’t, and Dami will now know not to leave Gahyeon alone now… plus, we don’t know if Gahyeon or Dami noticed something while fighting. We also don’t know how he captured Gahyeon to begin with. It may help to know all of this…” Yoohyeon said as she looked at Minji.</p><p>“oh, don’t look at me like I never have a good idea ever!” Yoohyeon said as she sulked at everyone's startled expressions, and that was when Bora remembered the bookmark.</p><p>“oh, Handong? Do you perhaps have a bookmark with a cute kitty on it that looks like this?” Bora asked as she did the pose on the bookmark, and Handong nodded and retrieved it.</p><p>“Why did you ask for this?” Handong asked as she handed the exact bookmark that was hidden in Bora’s journal over to the smaller girl.</p><p>“I don’t know what to think about this…” Bora said as everyone looked at her with a questioning expression, but Bora shook her head.</p><p>“I will explain once Gahyeon and Dami get here. Speaking of them, it’s time to call…” Bora said nervously as she dialed Gahyeon’s number.</p><p>“Maybe you should explain over the phone? You will find out if you need to be face to face or not. Just in case they run into him in the hallway or something, they won't do something stupid. I mean, what if they see him walk into your apartment?” Minji said, and Bora nodded in agreement as the phone rang.</p><p>“We should only tell Dami then. Because you know that Gahyeon may try to do something if she knows in advance…” Bora said to herself as she listened to the phone ringing.</p><p>Finally, they heard someone answer the phone. Luckily it was Dami and not Gahyeon. The group sighed in relief at hearing the girl over the phone, and Bora quickly explained everything and paused.</p><p>“do you remember?” Bora asked hesitantly as she only heard silence on the line, and her anxiety rose. <em>‘What if you have to explain face to face? Now Dami will think I'm crazy and will probably refuse to come over with Gahyeon…’</em> Bora stressed before she heard a slight sniffle over the phone, startling her.</p><p>“Dami?” Bora asked softly, and Dami just hummed a response. “so, do you remember anything?” Bora asked, and she could hear Dami sigh and more sniffles. All she got in response was a soft ‘yeah,’ and Bora suddenly felt both relieved and horrible for making her relive her death and the death of her girlfriend.</p><p>“I'm so sorry, Dami… I shouldn’t have gotten you two involved. You shouldn’t have had to experience that. Maybe I shouldn’t have made you remember…” Bora said as she heard Dami clear her throat.</p><p>“no. It isn’t just about us. And now that we know that it resets after one of us dies, it helps us know what we can and can't do.” Dami said, and Bora just nodded in agreement.</p><p>“wait, isn’t he going to go into your apartment soon?” Dami asked, and Bora said yes, and soon, Dami paused.</p><p>“as soon as she's out of sight of that hallway, enter your apartment with everyone. If he doesn’t at least try to go in, it means he is watching your apartment from either the outside or inside. Or even both. We need to check your house for bugs. I will grab what we need and head over with Gahyeon. Be careful…” Dami said as she quickly went to hang up, but Dami stopped her.</p><p>“wait!” Bora said as Dami hesitated. “don’t tell Gahyeon yet. I'm worried if she runs into the killer on the way upstairs, then she will try to do something stupid…” Bora said, and Dami thought for a second before agreeing and hung up as she started gathering what she needed.</p><p>“well, now we wait…” Minji said as they waited by Handong’s door. Once Siyeon left the apartment, and they heard the elevator close, the group walked casually out of Handong’s house and into Bora and Siyeon’s apartment.</p><p>“Should I make us something while we wait for them?” Bora asked, but they were all too nervous to eat or drink anything. They tried not to stare at it, but all eyes were on the door. Waiting.</p><p>Finally, a knock is heard at Bora’s door, and she went to answer it, knowing it was just Dami and Gahyeon.</p><p>As Dami walked in, she tried to get everyone's attention with her eyes as she showed them her phone. “look! Isn’t it a cute video?” Dami asked as she showed them a message.</p><p>If he didn’t show up, then he either was watching you enter the apartment, or there are cameras in the area. I have a device that will intercept the video feed as well as listening devices so that we can try to find it and track the cameras and other devices down. This will tip him off and will probably lead to another death, but we need to know where they are, so we know where it is safe to talk or not. Act like you’re watching a cute cat video and say AWW when I twitch my thumb!</p><p> </p><p>On cue, everyone went aww and nodded to Dami, showing her that they understood. The girl smiled as she put up her phone and looked over to a very confused Gahyeon. They still hadn't told her about the repeating again, so Bora led Gahyeon over to Handong’s to explain, and when they got back, everyone grouped around the younger girl and hugged Gahyeon as she fought back tears.</p><p>As they walked around the room, Gahyeon kept reaching to her stomach and gently brushing her fingers where the knife pierced her stomach. “what's wrong? Does it hurt?” Dami asked, and Gahyeon only nodded before looking up into Dami’s eyes and gently reached up to rest her hand on the side of Dami’s neck where she was hurt the day before. The gentle touch of Gahyeon sent chills down Dami as a slight pain was felt where her wound would have been.</p><p>Dami looked over at the others with a confused look before finally asking them. “is it normal for us to feel where we were hurt the day before?” Dami asked, and the others nodded as they reached for various parts of their bodies where they were injured by the killer. The only one who didn’t was Handong seeing as she was the only one to not be killed by him yet.</p><p>“well, let's get this started then…” Dami said as she grabbed a couple devices from her bag. One looked like a black box with a bar of red lights and long antenna. Another looked like a little mini portable tv with an antenna as well.</p><p>“Thanks for letting me practice with your apartment,” Dami said as she looked at Bora and winked.</p><p>“no problem, you’re the baby's girlfriend after all!” Bora teased as she hugged Gahyeon close to her. She held her longer than usual. Bora felt afraid to let her go for fear of her disappearing, but at the complaining of the youngest, she finally let her go as Dami got to work on Bora and Siyeon’s apartment.</p><p>“ok, this here can pick up the frequency that most Wi-Fi cameras use, so all you have to do is wave the antenna around. There are many types of Wi-Fi cameras, and I brought some with us so you can place them randomly and see if I can find them later.” Dami said as she handed them a black bag.</p><p>“now I don’t know what recording devices Gahyeon brought with us, so I won't just be able to recognize it by sight,” Dami said as everyone nodded in understanding.</p><p>“ok, I will leave the room while you set them up ok?” Dami asked, and the group nodded as she walked out of the door.</p><p>Once Dami stepped outside, she flicked a switch of a device in her pocket. It was a jammer. On the way inside Bora’s apartment, she had noticed a fire detector that didn’t match the others in the building in the hallway just outside boras door. On closer inspection, she noticed that it looked like it was a camera that was aimed directly at their door.</p><p><em>‘so that’s how he knows the passcode and when it’s safe to go in, huh?’ </em>Dami thought to herself as she pulled a baton out of her pocket and extended it to reach the camera as she smacked it down.</p><p>The camera made a loud noise as the brittle plastic shattered to reveal the camera inside. <em>‘yep. It was a camera. Where to look next… Minji and Yoohyeon’s?’</em> Dami thought to herself slightly shocked as she noticed the same type of fire detector in front of the couple's apartment.</p><p><em>‘well, I guess that he wants to have access to them just in case…’</em> she thought as she walked over to the camera and smacked it down as well. She carefully picked up the pieces and Added it to the plastic bag that she put the first one in. Dami had some latex gloves on just in case the person left some fingerprints. She knew that the chances were low, but it couldn’t hurt, right?</p><p>Dami slowly walked over to the other side of the hallway and noticed something interesting. There was even a camera in front of Handong’s. They had never gone over to Handong’s before, Siyeon had only greeted her while entering or exiting her apartment. This means that the person who is doing this was either very thorough or paranoid of any and every interaction Siyeon has.</p><p><em>‘I have a feeling that this is a bad sign…’</em> Dami said when Bora’s door finally opened, and she glared at the younger girl while holding up her cell.</p><p>“are you jamming our signal, or is it him?” Bora asked, but Dami didn’t have to answer. Her smirk told Bora everything she needed as she sighed in relief.</p><p>“I had to remove the cameras in the hallway…” Dami whispered, and Bora’s eyes went wide. “not now, I will explain everything later. Now we need to act like we found more than you placed and seem surprised. Spread the word quickly before I turn the jammer off.” Dami said, and Bora quickly turned around to let everyone know the plan, and soon, their act was in motion.</p><p>“I'm surprised you set up cameras outside Gahyeon. When did you have time?” Dami asked as she walked in and started to sweep the room. Gahyeon acted like she didn’t understand and thought her girlfriend was just messing with her. The others observed as Dami walked over to the mirror by the door were shocked when Dami’s device started shrieking, signaling that something was over there.</p><p>“ah! Found one!” Dami said as she smiled and collected the device and set it inside a bag that she was carrying around. Within minutes they found another device followed by another. The group only placed a couple devices like Dami had asked, and when they excluded those, the number of listening and recording devices was staggering.</p><p>There were several in the kitchen and living room as well as the entrance, but the main rooms were the bathroom and the bedroom. What worried Bora more is that there were two cameras aimed at the bed that specifically were there to view Bora, not Siyeon, and the bathroom was riddled with cameras that captured all angles.</p><p><em>‘he was watching us shower, make love, everything…’</em> Bora thought to herself as chills ran down her body<em>. ‘how long has this been going on? And these devices can't be cheap either…’</em> Bora thought to herself worriedly.</p><p><em>‘and why would he also be watching me sleep when he focuses on Siyeon?’ </em>Bora just couldn’t explain his logic. It just didn’t make sense that he would also be watching Bora<em>. ‘well, I guess if he views me as the competition, it kinda makes sense, but I just feel so violated… I can’t imagine how Siyeon feels…’</em> Bora thought as chills ran down her body.</p><p>Now they began part of their act that was quickly planned out during Dami’s jamming device.</p><p>“um guys, I'm sure you have figured this out already, but we have found WAY more devices than I owned for this test… where did all of these come from?” Dami asked as she looked from person to person. Surprisingly everyone had very good facial expressions as they acted surprised and shocked.</p><p>“um, can we go anywhere else but here? I'm starting to feel creeped out…” Gahyeon asked, and the others nodded as they walked towards the front door.</p><p>“I bet it was that weird security guard that used to work here several years ago, remember Minji?” Yoohyeon asked as Minji acted along until they were safely inside Handong’s apartment. A quick sweep showed no listening devices inside her house, only the one lone camera outside, and everyone sighed in relief as they flopped anywhere they could find a place to sit in Handong’s living room.</p><p>“well, that was a LOT more than I had expected…” Dami said as she looked around at everyone. “we also have to search your apartment, there was a camera outside yours and Handong’s doors as well. So, he most likely has the passcodes for all of your doors. I suggest you change the locks as soon as possible.” Dami said, and the others nodded.</p><p>Bora was so impressed at how professional Dami seemed. It made her feel slightly bad for making her quit her bodyguard training.  She obviously had a knack for it.</p><p>Siyeon and Bora said that they would only be ok with the two dating if Dami had a normal job. They didn’t want to see Dami getting hurt on the job and have to watch how it would affect Gahyeon. Surprisingly Dami agreed. She really loves Gahyeon greatly and would do anything for her, and Bora really respects that about her. Even if Dami does fangirl after Siyeon.</p><p>“While I was walking around finding the devices…” Dami paused and looked over to Gahyeon, who handed her a rough sketch of the apartment with several marks for cameras and bugs.</p><p>“Gahyeon marked them down so that we can remember them. We just need to memorize this so that when it resets again, we will have an idea of where they are.” Dami said, but Bora cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. As they left the apartment, Bora had brought out her copy of the journal so that she could explain the bookmark, and they could try to understand it better.</p><p>“about that… we may not have to memorize it…” Bora said as she opened up the journal to pull out the kitty bookmark and set it beside the original that Handong had shown her earlier. Everyone leaned in and looked at It, confused but Handong and Minji.</p><p>“it’s a bookmark…” Gahyeon said, and Bora nodded at her. “I don’t get it, so you have the same bookmarks. What's so special about that?” Gahyeon asked again, and this time, Minji was the one to speak up.</p><p>“is that the bookmark that Handong gave me yesterday?” Minji asked, and Bora nodded. “the bookmark I put in the journal before we all ran to find Gahyeon… the bookmark that should have vanished when everything reset?” Minji asked again, and Bora nodded.</p><p>“so, what does this mean? If we put something inside the book, it travels with it?” Handong asked, and Bora shrugged.</p><p>“it's another thing we need to test, and right now, we also know that he has access to all of our doors. So, we need to immediately call and have the locks replaced. We also need to go over and check your place, too, Minji. After all, we are best friends and have eaten at your house several times before. So, there's a possibility there may be cameras there too.” Bora said, and Minji sighed nervously as they brought the journal with them to Minji’s and started the search for bugs again.</p><p>Sadly, Bora and Dami were right. But there were cameras not just in areas that guests would travel in. There were several in their bedroom and bathroom, as well.</p><p>“well, I guess he's a pervert as well as a stalker…” Minji said as she felt her skin crawl. The thought of the creep watching them made her feel like throwing up.</p><p>“what we do in our bedroom is not a free show for creeps…” Minji said, and Dami went to joke about something but quickly paled at her realization.</p><p>“what?” Minji asked as she looked at Dami worriedly. The girl was frantically searching for something on her phone and froze when she found it.</p><p>“I think we know how he affords all of the cameras and bugs…” Dami said as she cringed and turned the phone towards Minji and Bora.</p><p>“oh my god, I'm blind…” Bora said as she turned away. “I didn’t need to see my best friend doing that…” Bora said as she walked away quietly for once.</p><p>“what was she doing?” Gahyeon asked, but bora quickly turned her away.</p><p>“Yoohyeon. She was doing Yoohyeon, and I’m saving you from going blind right now!” bora said as she led Gahyeon away.</p><p>“at least he blurred your faces…” Dami said to Minji and Yoohyeon, but it was clearly their room and clearly Yoohyeon and Minji.</p><p>“delete it!” Minji said as she panicked, but Dami shook her head.</p><p>“it doesn’t work like that. It's not like I can request the poster to take it down. That will also tell him that we are on to him. Luckily this seems like the only video. Do you happen to know when this was? Like a timeframe?” Dami asked as she handed her phone over to Minji as Yoohyeon looked over.</p><p>“oh, I know when that was! It was yesterday. Because right here is where I-” Minji quickly covered Yoohyeon's mouth as she quickly exited the video and handed it back to Dami with shaky hands.</p><p>“um… yes, it was yesterday…” Minji said while not making eye contact. The others didn’t see what Yoohyeon was about to do in the clip, but Minji was still EXTREMELY embarrassed.</p><p>“I want to kill him…” Minji’s embarrassment quickly switched to rage, and her face flushed now with rage, and Dami felt slightly intimidated as she stepped back.</p><p>“would the day reset if we kill him? Or are we supposed to kill him?” Yoohyeon asked, and everyone went quiet. They were all in thought about Yoohyeon's statement and clearly some thought differently than others.</p><p>Bora and Minji were on the kill the bastard side, whereas Gahyeon and Handong were on the justice will prevail in the end side. Dami and Yoohyeon, on the other hand, couldn’t care either way as long as their friends were safe.</p><p>“do we really want to become murderers?” Gahyeon asked as she looked at the others. Everyone grew quiet, and shockingly, it was Dami who spoke up next.</p><p>“honestly, when I watched him stab you in front of me, I wanted to kill him. If you had died before me, I probably would have tried to kill him with my last breath. I hated to think I was losing you. It was all my fault for sending you alone when we knew that there was someone dangerous out there, and I wasn’t thinking clearly…” Dami said as Gahyeon looked at Dami sadly. She didn’t like her blaming herself for everything.</p><p>“I think I can now understand people who kill in revenge. I used to think it was stupid. That it wouldn’t solve anything but at that moment… I could understand them, and that scares me. Is this human nature? Or am I just a monster?” Dami asked, and Gahyeon wrapped her arms around the taller girl trying to soothe her.</p><p>“it's not your fault, and you’re not a monster. I felt the same way when I saw him slash your throat… I felt so helpless. So, I understand. But I know we all would regret it. Then we WOULD feel like monsters. We would become monsters just like him.” Gahyeon said as she gently kissed Dami’s forehead.</p><p>“it's probably human nature to want revenge. Who knows? But the key to if we become monsters is if we act on it. Right?” Gahyeon said as she tried to rationalize with everyone. She could tell that their minds were going to a darker place. And Gahyeon would have to admit that killing him would make it easier time-loop wise, but it's not like they could get away with it. They would lose each other, and that scared her even more.</p><p>“so, what do we do right now?” Handong asked Dami. “I know that we are unsure of where to start, but what can we do to prepare ourselves just in case he shows up somewhere?” Handong asked, and Dami paused before going and grabbing a couple of things from her backpack.</p><p>“I figured we could benefit from a quick crash-course on the baton. I have one for each of us, and we need to expect him. He most likely now knows that we know about the cameras. We have probably just pushed him to do something, so we need to be at least a little prepared. Right?” Dami said as Gahyeon groaned.</p><p>Gahyeon knew that her girlfriend was a strict teacher and sighed as everyone followed Dami’s instructions. They were practicing for an hour or two before Bora remembered something.</p><p>“wait… Gahyeon, we never asked you about how you were taken, did we?” Bora asked as Gahyeon shook her head.</p><p>“it's not like I remembered much. I left the building to go to my car when suddenly someone grabbed me from behind. The next thing I remember is Dami trying to wake me up and untie me.” Gahyeon said, and that proved what Bora was fearing.</p><p>“so, you never sent a distress signal, did you?” Bora asked as Gahyeon looked at her, confused, and shook her head.</p><p>“distress signal? Oh! The app Dami had me download? How would I send one when I was unconscious?” Gahyeon asked as she looked from Bora to Dami.</p><p>“he knew what the app was… SHIT! Cellphones! I didn’t think of that! Thank god I still have the jammer on! Bora, let me see your phone!” Dami asked, and Bora quickly handed over her cell after unlocking it, and after a minute or two, Dami turned the app or one like it to show her. “your phone was also bugged. That means that Siyeon… oh shit! Siyeon!” Dami and everyone else scrambled to grab their things and rushed out of the apartment towards Siyeon’s practice rooms.</p><p>Dami quickly tucked the pages of where the bugs were listed inside the journal for safekeeping and ran outside to follow the others.</p><p> </p><p>“Please tell me we aren’t too late….” Bora whispered as they drove as fast as they could towards siyeon’s practice rooms.</p><p>Once outside the practice rooms, Bora bolted out and ran inside, looking for Siyeon. As she burst through the band's practice room, she noticed that everyone was there… except for Siyeon.</p><p>“where is Siyeon?” Bora asked as everyone looked at her with a confused expression.</p><p>“um, she just went to go meet you? Why are you here and not at the coffee shop?” one of Siyeon’s bandmates said, but before he could finish, Bora was bolting outside again and jumping back into her car. The others were scrambling back inside their vehicles, trying to follow Bora as she sped full speed towards the coffee shop while looking at the sidewalk periodically to see if she could spot Siyeon. Nothing, and soon she was outside the coffee shop, and her heart was pounding.</p><p>Bora was frantically dialing Siyeon’s number as she drove, but there was no answer, and the anxiety was killing Bora.</p><p>“please…” Bora pleaded to the air as she fought tears as she was clutching the steering wheel tightly. She parked outside the coffee shop and ran inside. The employees looked startled at the strong entrance, but as Bora looked around, she noticed that there was no Siyeon. Bora’s heart dropped, and her knees went weak as she collapsed with one hand still clutching the door handle. Soon Minji was there helping to pick Bora up.</p><p>Bora was severely pale as Minji held her, and she could feel that Bora was cold. All of Bora’s thoughts ran in her head, getting darker and darker as her breathing picked up. Panic was rising in her chest, and soon, she only heard the roar of her blood pressure in her ears. Soon her vision was starting to tunnel as her surroundings started going black. If they couldn’t snap Bora out of this panic attack soon, she would cause herself to faint, and Minji was starting to freak out as well as she watched Bora’s breathing increased rapidly as she started to hyperventilate.</p><p>“Gahyeon! Dami! Help!” Minji shouted as the two came into view. The two ran over after hearing the panic in Minji’s voice and quickly tried to help snap Bora out of her panic attack, but it was of no use.</p><p>“breathe.” A man said as he held a paper bag to Bora’s mouth, and she obeyed. As she breathed into the bag, her breathing and heart rate started to slow, and she started to notice her surroundings again as her vision cleared.</p><p>“better?” one of the baristas asked as he knelt beside her with a worried expression. Bora could only nod. She was still feeling a little lightheaded, but it was slowly getting better.</p><p>“thank you! We didn’t know what to do!” Minji said as she hugged Bora tightly and kissed her forehead. The barista just smiled as he slowly stood up.</p><p>“it’s no problem. One of my coworkers has a brother that has panic attacks from time to time. I just learned it from him.” The man said as he helped Bora up.</p><p>“thank you… Eunwoo.” Minji said as she read his nametag and smiled gratefully at him. He just smiled as he walked Bora inside to the nearest empty table to sit and rest for a moment.</p><p>“are you ok?” Eunwoo asked Bora, and she nodded again. She felt numb and couldn’t decide what to go, and it wasn’t helping her that she was extremely dizzy.</p><p>“have you seen Siyeon? I know that she is a regular here, and she was supposed to meet Bora here, but we can't find her.” Minji asked, and Eunwoo’s eyes opened wider as he smiled genuinely.</p><p>“yes! Miss Siyeon is a regular here! But I don’t remember seeing her after she left here this morning. Let me ask one of my coworkers.” Eunwoo said as he trotted over to the other barista that was at the counter. After a quick conversation, he trotted back, shaking his head.</p><p>“no, sorry, we haven’t seen her. But we can check the security cameras to see if we maybe missed her. Would that help?” Eunwoo said, and both Bora and Minji nodded vigorously.</p><p>As Eunwoo walked to the back, Bora turned to Minji and noticed two people missing.</p><p>“where are Handong and Yoohyeon?” Bora asked, and Minji smiled worriedly.</p><p>“they are walking the path to the coffee shop to see if they find anything. Don’t worry. You know Yoohyeon is like a bloodhound, and if there is something to be found, she will find it.” Minji said reassuringly, but it didn’t help. What helps was knowing Handong was there with her as a second pair of eyes. Bora loves Yoohyeon, but she can be kinda clueless at times.</p><p>Dami went behind the counter with Eunwoo and helped him look through the security cameras, but there was nothing. No signs of Siyeon, but at least now they knew that somewhere in between here and the practice rooms are where she vanished.</p><p> Bora was still fighting a panic attack as she clutched the paper bag in her hand. It wasn’t helping that Dami shook her head, telling them she found nothing. Shortly after, Yoohyeon and Handong walked in, shaking their heads as well. Nothing. No signs of Siyeon. And soon, Bora’s panic attack was raging at full force again when her phone pinged. Bora lunged for her phone, hoping it was a message from Siyeon. It was, but not what she was hoping for.</p><p>ROCKER GIRL&lt;3</p><p>
  <span class="u">This message means that (lee Siyeon) is in danger and is in need of assistance. Here is her current location.</span>
</p><p>[picture]</p><p>Bora looked at the message in confusion and then froze. Minji and the others looked around her shoulders to read the message and gasped as they recognized the message from yesterday. The only difference is it changed from one sister to the other.</p><p>“he… he has Siyeon…” Bora said weakly as tears started to blur her vision, and her hand shakily clutched her phone tightly to her chest.</p><p>The last thing bora was remembering as her vision tunneled was Eunwoo helping them load bora into Minji’s car as Dami shouted out instructions while Gahyeon leaned over her, and then her vision went black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Suspicions and Revenge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>When the message pinged across Bora’s cell, announcing that Siyeon was in danger, it triggered another panic attack in bora, and within seconds, Bora was blacking out. Everything happened so quickly after that.</p>
<p>Dami knew that they couldn’t wait for Bora to wake up. Siyeon was in danger, and the only one that knew even the slightest of what to do was Dami. So, the younger girl nervously took the lead.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry to ask this, but can you help us put Bora inside the car? It’s an emergency!” Dami asked, and Eunwoo scooped up Bora without a second thought and helped load her into the car. After he gently laid the smaller girl in the backseat, Gahyeon got in and tried to wake Bora, but she wasn’t stirring.</p>
<p>“I have some smelling salts in the first aid kit in my office! One second and I will bring it to you!” Eunwoo shouted as he quickly ran inside and came out shortly after with a very large first aid kit.</p>
<p>“here! Take the whole thing! It may help!” Eunwoo said. His voice hinted that there was something in the first aid kit that they may need as he handed them the kit and stood back, watching the group speed off in the direction of the message.</p>
<p>“it’s the same house as last time!” Dami said as she started speeding towards the location. She had the other cars on a group call and explained the plan while Gahyeon was in the back looking through the first aid kit for the smelling salts, unsure of what they look like.</p>
<p>“We knew that last time Gahyeon was in the basement, right? We also know that he bolted out of the back. So, we now know his escape route! Handong? Do you have your taser with you?” Dami asked as she tried to plan everything in her head.</p>
<p>“yes, I do. And this time, I remembered to bring more than one cartridge! As long as I don’t drop them, we have three shots.” Handong said, and Dami nodded to herself.</p>
<p>“ok! Handong, when we get there, can you go around the back and wait for him to bolt out of the back entrance?” Dami asked, and Handong agreed.</p>
<p>“Everyone still has their batons on them?” Dami asked, and she listened as everyone checked and answered<em>. ‘ok, we are at least slightly more prepared than last time. I just hope that this ends better… please?’</em> Dami pleaded as she sped towards the abandoned house.</p>
<p>“found it!” Gahyeon shouted as she held up a small thing from the first aid kit. The shout caused Dami to jump, making her jerk the wheel, and soon, the small smelling salts packet flew from Gahyeon’s hand and into the floorboard.</p>
<p>With an exasperated sound, Gahyeon started searching for it again and quickly found it.</p>
<p>“sorry…” Dami said, but Gahyeon shook her head at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“it's not your fault. I shouldn’t have shouted... Here we go!” Gahyeon said as she cracked open the smelling salts and held it under Bora’s nose.</p>
<p>Within seconds Bora was coughing and gasping for clean air as she shies away from the tiny pack of evil that Gahyeon was wielding at her like a weapon.</p>
<p>“oh my god! That’s horrible! What is that?” Bora asked as she gagged. Gahyeon could only giggle as she held it out to Bora again.</p>
<p>“not feeling like you’re going to pass out again, are you?” Gahyeon asked, and Bora looked at her for a couple seconds in confusion before her memories came flooding back.</p>
<p>“oh my god! Siyeon!” Bora tried to bolt up, but Gahyeon held her down as she started to struggle.</p>
<p>“relax! We are on the way to her right now! Dami has a plan, so you need to listen so we can save her, alright?” Gahyeon asked, and Bora’s struggling started to ease.</p>
<p>“a plan?” Bora asked, and Gahyeon nodded and looked into the rearview mirror to signal Dami to explain.</p>
<p>“it’s the same house that he took Gahyeon. We know it, and we know how he escaped from us last time. It means that WE have the advantage. Not him. if we know how to use it properly…” Dami said, and Bora started to calm down slightly. The smelling salts really helped her calm down, and her mind seemed clearer.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon? Is there anything else in that first aid kit that we may be able to use?” Dami asked, and Gahyeon looked at the large kit again.</p>
<p>“let me see… Woah…” Gahyeon froze as she opened the bottom of the first aid kit. There in the bottom was a taser gun like the one Handong had with two cartridges as well as a survival knife that had a glass breaker point on the back as well as some flairs, ropes, and zip-ties and other medical supplies.</p>
<p>They would be worried about this Eunwoo if it wasn’t a premade kit for police officers and first responders with the contents labeled including everything in the bottom tray.</p>
<p>It seemed that the first aid kit was specifically made for first responders in dangerous locations or disaster situations, and now they understood why Eunwoo sent it with them.</p>
<p>“so, he was a police officer or something? I kinda feel bad for suspecting him…” Gahyeon said as she looked at the kit in appreciation. Bora could only nod in agreement as her eyes locked on the knife, and soon, the two jumped as Handong’s voice was heard over the phone.</p>
<p>“what was in there? We can't see anything but Gahyeon’s reaction through the rear window!” Handong said, and the two sat up to look out the window to see Minji Handong and Yoohyeon waving at them.</p>
<p>“it’s a kit that has a taser gun like Handong’s with two of those cartridge thingies and a knife as well as ropes, flairs and some zip ties and some stretchy thingies. Everything else besides that is a regular first aid kit.</p>
<p>“if he was a police officer, why does he work at a café now?” Handong asked, and no one had the answer to that. It was a good question. Also, tasers are most likely illegal except for police officers, so to give the kit to six inexperienced girls seemed somewhat dangerous.</p>
<p>“well, lest not rule him out yet, we need to see how this goes…” Handong said, and everyone went silent.</p>
<p>“So, who is going to get the second taser?” Gahyeon asked, and Bora thought for a second<em>. ‘Out of everyone in our group, the only one that may know how to use one would probably be Yoohyeon. She is a gamer in her spare time, after all…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she tried to think<em>. ‘oh and of course, Dami. But if I remember right, her weapons of choice were baton or hand to hand. Firearms were not her strong suit…’</em> Bora thought and finally decided to look to Dami for answers.</p>
<p>“Dami? Who do you think should get the other taser gun?” Bora asked as Dami thought.</p>
<p>“well… I'm going to be entering the basement first just like last time. I remember the angle he attacked from the last time, and I hope he is consistent with that. Plus, the area is small, so getting a clear shot in such a tight space is going to be difficult for me. So… anyone good with target practice?” Dami asked, and the line went quiet before Minji was heard scolding Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“they can't see you raising your hand, you know?” Minji asked, and they heard Yoohyeon make a cute pouting noise before she spoke.</p>
<p>“I know that! I was just too nervous to say it aloud yet!” Yoohyeon sulked, and the others couldn’t help but chuckle. They all could imagine the sulking expression Yoohyeon was giving Minji right now.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon, you know how to shoot?” Dami asked as she looked into the rearview mirror at the car behind her.</p>
<p>“I, uh… kinda? Video games, you know. But at least it’s something, right?” Yoohyeon seemed extremely embarrassed, and Dami couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>“right now, I will take anything. Now, there are just some things to know about the taser. It has a short range. If you are too far from the target, the prongs go wide, and you miss. Both need to strike him to stop him.” Dami said as Yoohyeon listened.</p>
<p>“so, like how close do I need to be?” Yoohyeon asked as she tried to plan ahead for a clean shot.</p>
<p>“under ten feet. We can't waste these cartridges, so make the shots count.” Dami said, and she saw Yoohyeon nodding in the rearview mirror<em>. ‘well, let's hope this goes like the plan, but we know that this guy never seems to give us a good opening…’</em> Dami thought to herself as she sped towards the house.</p>
<p>While Dami was talking to Yoohyeon, Gahyeon’s attention on the first aid kit was lost, and Bora quickly took the survival knife from the kit and stuffed it in her pocket. ‘<em>my friends and I won't be the only one hurt this time…’</em> Bora thought grimly as she hid the knife so that she could easily grab it while trying not to gain Gahyeon’s attention.</p>
<p>“We are close!” Dami said when Minji noticed something behind her car.</p>
<p>“um, guys? I think I'm being followed…” Minji said as she looked in her rearview mirror. They were so focused on the drive to Siyeon that they didn’t notice that a car had been following them this whole time.</p>
<p>“can you see who is driving it?” Dami asked as her nerves spiked. Minji just shook her head and went quiet as she tried to examine the driver through the dark windows.</p>
<p>“holy shit! I think it’s that Eunwoo guy!” Minji said as her eyes went wide, and soon she realized he was waving at her. Minji didn’t know what to think. What was he doing here following them?</p>
<p>“It is him!” Minji said. “he just waved at me!” Minji didn’t know what to say after that, and Dami was quiet.</p>
<p>“well, we will just have to see how this goes. Just remember, think of him as a suspect until the end. That way, we won't be caught by surprise later. It's better to apologize later for suspecting him than finding out too late he was a part of this, ok?” Dami asked, and everyone agreed in unison.</p>
<p>“ok, we are here… so let's see what this guy wants…” Dami said as she pulled up to the house in a quick stop and swung herself out of the car with her baton ready. She was watching Minji pull in, and then her eyes focused on the last car.</p>
<p>Eunwoo’s car pulled up, and he quickly got out with a worried expression. “I'm sorry I followed you all. But I figured that whatever the emergency was, it would have to be bad to send her into a panic attack. So, I figured you could use my help.” Eunwoo said as he looked to Bora and then back to Dami.</p>
<p>Eunwoo could tell right away that Dami was the one in charge at this moment and so he waited for her response.</p>
<p>“Someone has kidnapped Siyeon and is inside this house. He is most likely in the basement, and there is a way out of that basement from outside. Handong was going to go to guard the back, can you go with her?” Dami asked and waited for a response.</p>
<p>“How are you so sure that the house has a way into the basement from outside?” Eunwoo asked, and he noticed Dami starting to get annoyed. They were wasting time.</p>
<p>“never mind, I will go. Did you find the taser at the bottom of the kit?” Eunwoo asked, and Gahyeon nodded as she held it up. “ok, does anyone know how to use it?” Eunwoo asked, but besides Dami and Handong, no one had actually used one before.</p>
<p>“should you use it?” Gahyeon asked, but a grim expression crossed Eunwoo’s face.</p>
<p>“no… I…” Eunwoo let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair and smiled sadly at the group in front of him.</p>
<p>“I'm fine with hand to hand, but I freeze with any weapons after I left the police. Someone who Is going inside needs to use it…” Eunwoo said sadly, and Gahyeon walked over to hand it to Yoohyeon as planned.</p>
<p>“Can someone show me how it works really quick?” Yoohyeon asked, and both Eunwoo and Handong walked closer to explain. He was caught off guard that Handong knew how to use a taser and was even more surprised when she pulled one of her own out to explain it to Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>Handong reminded Eunwoo of someone, and he couldn’t help but smile sadly at her as he watched Handong explaining the cartridges to Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“all right. We are wasting time! Everyone ready?” Dami asked as she flicked out her baton and was answered by the sounds of everyone else's batons. “alright, let's go. Phones on silent or vibrate! Once you and Eunwoo are in position, message us, and we will enter the basement, ok?” Dami asked, and Handong nodded as everyone pulled out their cells to check that they were indeed on silent.</p>
<p>The two rushed around to the back of the house as the other group slowly entered the house. Unlike last time, it was not silent inside the house, and the girls had to restrain Bora rather quickly.</p>
<p>They entered to the sounds of Siyeon crying out in pain as someone screamed at her.</p>
<p>-Siyeon-</p>
<p>Siyeon didn’t remember how she got here, but as she woke up, she realized that this wasn’t her practice studio.</p>
<p>She quickly glanced around the darkly lit basement, trying to focus blurry eyes until her eyes met the eyes of the one person that has been terrorizing her the last month.</p>
<p>Panic quickly flooded all of her other emotions as she struggled to escape. She was absolutely terrified, and the only thing that she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding in her ears as she gasped in surprise.</p>
<p>“Finally, awake, are we?” Siyeon’s stalker asked as he walked slowly closer. He was still in his normal outfit of all black with a mask and hat, so Siyeon couldn’t see anything that could identify him. ‘I wish there was SOMETHING, ANYTHING that can tell me who this bastard is!’ Siyeon thought to herself as she fought the terror rising in her chest.</p>
<p>“Why are you doing this?” Siyeon asked shakily as she looked at her stalker. She tried to sound confident, but her voice shaking only told him the opposite. He only laughed as he walked slowly towards her.</p>
<p>“for our love, of course!” he said as he flung his arms wide. he set Siyeon’s cellphone down and pulled his knife out of his pocket. “I'm doing this so that we can finally be together!” the stalker said excitedly as he ran his fingers gently over the blade, checking the sharpness.</p>
<p>“I don’t even know you let alone love you! I love Bora! so tell me why you are really doing this to me!?!” Siyeon asked as she tried to fight back tears and shook severely. But the mention of Bora was the wrong move. In a split second, he lashed out at her with his knife cutting into her shoulder as she screamed in pain.</p>
<p>“don’t mention that woman around me!” he screamed as Siyeon tried to shift away from him as far as the ropes would allow. Almost flipping over the chair that she was tied to. The cut wasn’t very deep, but it did bleed a lot.</p>
<p>Siyeon was terrified as the man approached her with the knife clutched tightly in his hand. Siyeon’s eyes went wide with terror as he slowly took small steps towards her. Siyeon clenched her eyes closed and winced, expecting another strike when his next comment surprised her.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you! I love you! You just made me so MAD! Don’t EVER mention that bitches name in front of me, ok? OK!?!” the stalker's voice seemed genuinely apologetic until the end as he shouted in rage, waiting for a response.</p>
<p>Siyeon squeaked in shock and terror as she quietly whispered bora name under her breath as she prayed that this was just a dream, and bora would soon shake her awake and tell her everything was ok, and it was all a dream. But this was no dream. And bora wasn’t there to wake her up…</p>
<p>“I will teach you to never mention that woman's name again…” her stalker said as his tone went deadly at siyeon’s pleading cry for bora. Slowly he stepped closer and brought up his knife as Siyeon winced and looked away. Waiting for the blow she knew was coming.</p>
<p>-Bora-</p>
<p>As Bora enters, she hears Siyeon screaming in pain repeatedly, and quickly, the others grab bora and try to quiet her. It was Dami that finally snapped Bora out of her rage.</p>
<p>“if we can hear her, it means she is alive! But if you run in there shouting, that may change!” Dami whispered to Bora, and the older girl froze. Dami made a point. Rushing in could cause him to kill Siyeon, but it was just so difficult to listen to Siyeon crying out in pain. Bora’s eyes stung as she gulped and tried to calm her nerves that were making her hands shake, and soon they got the message from Handong. They were in position. It was now time for them to go to get Siyeon.</p>
<p>
  <em>“How can you say you don’t know me?!? You love me! After everything we have been through, you deny me?” Bora heard someone scream, and shortly, Siyeon cried out in pain again. Bora tensed at the sound, and she could feel her blood boiling. ‘how DARE he hurt Siyeon!’ Bora thought, but Gahyeon gently grabbed her arm to silently remind her to go by the plan, and Bora’s shoulders slumped slightly. </em>
</p>
<p><em>Suddenly Siyeon started shouting at her attacker. “I don’t care who you are! I don’t love you, and I never have! The only person I have ever loved is Bora!  KIM BORA! Do you understand? So, if you're going to kill me, then do it! But I will never be with you! EVER!” Siyeon shrieked as she fought back tears and soon, the basement went quiet except for siyeon’s sobs</em>.</p>
<p>“now! Go now!” Dami said as they rushed into the basement to see Siyeon’s stalker ready to slash Siyeon’s throat. With a quick reaction, Dami lunged in and struck the knife away from Siyeon just in time, and it went skidding across the floor towards the hidden escape route.</p>
<p>The stalker looked over quickly to see everyone there and curse. Dami lunged in with her baton and gave quick and strong blows to his wrist, then knee and then the side of his face as she tried to give them space to get to Siyeon.</p>
<p>Bora ran over to Siyeon to see her a bloody mess. Her stalker had taken out his frustration at being rejected repeatedly out on Siyeon’s body. Several cuts were all over her body, the only place without a scratch was Siyeon’s face which was ghostly pale and cold as Bora gently touched her cheeks.</p>
<p>Siyeon was starting to feel the effects of blood loss. The small cuts didn’t cause this, but the stab wound to her thigh did. She had gotten the wound when she managed to free one leg to kick her attacker right between the legs when he got too handsy with her. It was still bleeding sluggishly, and Siyeon was starting to feel dizzy, so she didn’t even notice Bora right away.</p>
<p>At the sensation of Bora touching her cheeks, Siyeon tried to struggle and pull away from her thinking it was the stalker when suddenly Bora’s face came into her vision.</p>
<p>Almost instantly, Siyeon’s vision went blurry with tears as she recognized the gentle touches on her face, and sobs escaped her throat as she leaned into Bora’s hands.</p>
<p>“it's alright, baby. I'm here! I'm going to untie you, ok?” Bora asked, and Siyeon could only nod and smile weakly as Bora fumbled with the ties. She couldn’t untie them with her nerves making her hands so shaky, and suddenly, she remembered the survival knife and pulled it out.</p>
<p>Siyeon instantly shied away from the sight of the knife. Obviously, this was going to be a severe trauma to her later, and Bora had to quietly reassure her that it was only to cut her bonds, but Siyeon was still shaking terribly just from the sight of the knife, and she leaned as far away from it as possible.</p>
<p>The sight of Siyeon so terrified ignited something in her as she slashed the ropes freeing Siyeon, and soon, she slowly stood to lock eyes with the one who hurt her woman. He was still fighting Dami and had managed to either get a second knife or retrieved the one that was knocked from his hands earlier.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon? Take care of Siyeon…” bora said as she took cold and calculated steps towards siyeon’s stalker.</p>
<p>Dami seemed to be overpowering him, but soon, a shriek of pain was heard from Dami as he managed to get a lucky strike in putting a very deep gash across her baton arm, making it bleed severely and rendering it useless. Quickly he went in for the kill, but Bora had seen this coming and anticipated his moves, and within seconds, he felt pain shooting across his right arm as his grip on the knife loosened.</p>
<p>Minji quickly dragged the injured girl out of the fray as bora walked coldly forward and squared off against the one that hurt Siyeon.</p>
<p>The stalker could feel that the cut she landed on his arm was weakening his grip so reluctantly he had to switch hands as he stared down the smaller girl. It would be an interesting sight if it were a movie. He towered over the smaller girl, but she confidently smirked back at him, sending the stalker into a rage as he lunged in.</p>
<p>Bora’s dancing background helped her greatly as she managed to dodge the slashes and lunges that he flung wildly at her. He was running purely on emotions right now as his rage led him, and his attacks were sloppy. She was also keeping him on his toes as she uses her baton training Dami gave her with one arm and slashed at him with the knife with her other hand.</p>
<p>Everyone watched quietly as the fight got more and more intense. Gahyeon was helping her sister out of the chair and holding her up due to Siyeon’s bad leg, and Siyeon’s grip grew tighter on her sister as she watched the love of her life in a battle with Siyeon’s worst nightmare.</p>
<p>Minji was helping Dami while Yoohyeon waited for a good shot just in case the opportunity presented itself, and soon they all heard a sound that made them all freeze.</p>
<p>Bora had accidentally left an opening, and the attacker took it as he lunged in and pierced her stomach quickly and ripped the knife out violently. Bora cried out in pain but quickly slashed at the man and left a gash against the side of his face slashing across the strings of his mask, severing them.</p>
<p>Before the mask fully fell, he covered his face with his arm and turned to run. The sound of the taser gun firing was heard, but by some bad luck, the attacker quickly bent down to grab the first knife that he lost in the fight allowing the taser prongs to shoot over his head to just barely miss and bury into a wooden beam in front of him.</p>
<p>While still covering his face with his arm, Siyeon’s stalker quickly glanced back in surprise before bolting through the door to the outside.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> As the doors flew open, Handong quickly aimed as the attacker bolted in a streak of black. The taser hit its mark, and soon, the attacker's muscles contracted as he fell forward.</p>
<p>“Nice shot!” Eunwoo shouted as he watched the person drop face-first into the ground and went over to help subdue the attacker. As he approached, the current stopped, and a groan was heard. Eunwoo quickly went to pin the attacker down while Handong reloaded another cartridge into the taser.</p>
<p>As Eunwoo moved to pin the attacker down, the stalker managed to slash wildly as he struggled to stand with muscles that twitched from the shock from earlier.</p>
<p>The knife made contact with Eunwoo’s face leaving a gash just above his brows, blinding him with the blood that poured from the wound and ran into his eyes. Eunwoo staggered back as he tried to clear the blood from his eyes and succeeded just in time to see Handong standing there with a look of surprise as a knife protruded from her ribs. And her attacker nowhere in sight.</p>
<p>“no!” Eunwoo shrieked as he ran over to Handong as she staggered back, clutching the knife embedded in between her ribs right under her left breast. She was about to pull out the knife, but Eunwoo stopped her just in time.</p>
<p>“don’t! It will cause you to bleed more! Don’t remove it!” Eunwoo said as he held the Chinese girl in his arms. He couldn’t help getting flashbacks of a very similar situation. Except the girl that died in his arms that night was his fiancé. The one person he swore to protect with his life and failed.</p>
<p>After that night, he couldn’t be a police officer anymore. He took the cases too personally and soon realized that he needed a change and decided to open a café. It was her dream to one day one a café, and she wasn’t there anymore, but he wanted her dream to live on.</p>
<p>Handong reminded him so much of his fiancé, and the sight of her in a similar situation was almost too much for him. His sight was coming and going as blood poured into his eyes, and he tried to blink them away.</p>
<p>Quickly Yoohyeon ran outside to see Eunwoo with blood pouring down his face as he held Handong in his arms and cried out in shock as Minji ran outside to see.</p>
<p> Minji froze as she watched Eunwoo trying so soothe Handong, who was now starting to panic. The tall man was extremely gentle and calm with her as he stopped Handong from panicking and ripping out the knife that pierced her lungs.</p>
<p>“I know you think you will feel better and breathe better when the knife is out, but it will only make you bleed more. You can drown in your own blood. So, please? Don’t pull it out… help is on the way. I called them myself…” Eunwoo said as he calmed the Chinese girl with gentle words before he spotted minji and Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“The first aid kit! Someone, please bring it, and bring out any wounded!” Eunwoo shouted, and Yoohyeon bolted for the car as their fastest runner and came back as Bora Dami and Siyeon were being laid beside Handong.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was also trained in first aid and quickly got to work. Siyeon was in the most danger as her blood loss was getting more severe. Quickly he tied a tourniquet around her leg and quickly went to Bora. Luckily the stab wound in her stomach wasn’t bad. Yes, it was bleeding a lot and looked terrible, but he missed anything important, and Eunwoo quickly bandaged it and had someone hold pressure as he moved to Dami and quickly bandaged her bleeding arm.</p>
<p>The cut was deep and probably would affect her for a long time, if not permanently. He winced as he realized how bad it was. The stalker had severed a lot of muscles in Dami’s arm, almost hitting bone. At the moment, Dami couldn’t even move it. She would need surgery to fix it, and her arm may never be the same.</p>
<p>Eunwoo looked into Dami’s eyes and realized that she too knew how bad it was, but she still managed to smile weakly through the pain as he slowly and gently bandaged her arm, trying not to hurt her.</p>
<p>“what about Handong?” Gahyeon asked as she looked at the girl that was growing paler.</p>
<p>“I have already called the police, and they are on the way. The only thing we can do for her is to make her comfortable and not let her remove that knife. If she does, she will bleed out quickly… I just hope they get here soon…” Eunwoo said as he finished Dami’s arm and walked over to Handong and took off his jacket and covered the girl.</p>
<p>Handong was starting to shiver from shock, and he stayed beside her trying to keep her comfortable until the ambulance finally arrived.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eunwoo stayed beside Handong the entire time all the way until the paramedics treated her and started loading her onto the stretcher.</p>
<p>As Eunwoo stood beside Handong while she was on the stretcher being loaded onto the ambulance, she grabbed his hand to weakly whisper something to him. Eunwoo couldn’t hear what she said and had to lean closer. “what did you say?” Eunwoo asked, and Handong weakly repeated it for him.</p>
<p>“I saw him. I saw his face…” Handong said weakly as her grip slipped, and he was made to step back as she was loaded onto the ambulance.</p>
<p>Luckily the one police that showed up happened to be a friend of Eunwoo’s back when he was still an officer named min hyuk. And after a couple of questions and a quick conversation from Eunwoo, the group was free to go and join their friends that were taken to the hospital.</p>
<p>Siyeon Bora and Dami were in a four-person room so that they could stay together, but Handong was in serious condition after her surgery and was in the ICU. The doctors told them that it was unsure if she would make it throughout the night or even the next couple of days.</p>
<p>Everyone was grim and did the only thing they could do, they waited. Eunwoo had told them shortly after everyone's surgeries were done that Handong had told him that she had seen the stalkers face, and soon, they were worried that the stalker would come to finish her off if he knew that she was still alive.</p>
<p>Luckily Eunwoo promised to stay and guard Handong all night, allowing them to rest slightly easier.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> The next morning, they all woke up inside the hospital, so they knew that Handong had made it through the night, but it wasn’t much comfort.</p>
<p>Dami would never have full use of her arm again. The surgery had taken hours, and afterward, even though the girl knew it was severe, she was having a hard time accepting it and seemed to be depressed as she stared at her now useless arm.</p>
<p>Gahyeon stayed beside Dami and took care of everything the older girl needed, but it only made Dami feel more useless. She couldn’t dare tell Gahyeon that though, she knew that Gahyeon was only trying to help, and she didn’t want to hurt her, but she just felt so useless and didn’t like having to be taken care of.</p>
<p>Siyeon was having some serious anxiety from any man that approached her. She was so terrified of her stalker, and she didn’t even know what he looked like, so every man that approached her terrified her as thoughts of <em>‘is it him? Is he going to hurt me?’</em> ran through her head.</p>
<p>After Siyeon had a small panic attack when the doctor came in, Bora quickly moved into her bed to hold and comfort her girlfriend. Siyeon relaxed almost instantly as Bora rested her chin on Siyeon’s shoulder and wrapped her tiny arms around Siyeon’s waist and held her gently, trying not to hurt any of Siyeon’s various cuts all over her body.</p>
<p>Siyeon would also have trouble walking for the next couple of months from her leg injury but was expected to be back to normal after a couple months of physical therapy. She felt bad knowing that Dami’s prognosis was not a happy one like hers.</p>
<p>Dami was very active and got hurt while trying to save Siyeon, and the older girl couldn’t help but blame herself for everything that happened. <em>‘If I had just told someone, anyone! None of this would have happened…’ </em>Siyeon thought as she tried to hide her tears as Bora slept soundly snuggled up to her back.</p>
<p>Several hours later, Eunwoo walked in, looking defeated. He had decided to stay with Handong, and with him standing here, it could only mean one thing.</p>
<p>“she’s gone…” Eunwoo choked out as everyone grew silent. After the ride to the hospital, Eunwoo explained to everyone about his fiancé. She was murdered the night after they became engaged. Her killer was never found, and Eunwoo found her after coming home from work only for her to die in his arms.</p>
<p>The group realized that he blamed himself for Handong and Eunwoo had even said that she reminded him of his fiancé, so they agreed to let him stay with her. If anyone would protect her, Eunwoo would.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t the stalker that killed her. A clot had formed from her wound and traveled to her brain, causing a stroke that couldn’t be identified easily because she was already unconscious.</p>
<p>By the time Eunwoo realized that something was off, it was too late. You only have a very short window when dealing with a stroke.</p>
<p>If you catch it soon enough, a drug can be given to break up the clot and return the blood and oxygen flow back to normal. And you also need to know the last time that they were seen normal so that they know the timeframe and if the drug can be given. But due to Handong being unconscious and Eunwoo sitting on the opposite side that her facial droop was on, they didn’t know the time.</p>
<p>The others knew what this meant, a restart would happen once they go to sleep tonight. Eunwoo and Siyeon were the only ones that didn’t know, and Bora was debating on if she should tell them, but as she looked at Dami, the younger girl shook her head and message her with her good arm.</p>
<p>DAMI</p>
<p>We shouldn’t risk anything. Handong said she saw his face.</p>
<p>If we tell them just to make them feel better, but it messes something up, then what?</p>
<p>She is our biggest clue right now.</p>
<p>Bora, I know you want to help Siyeon, and we know she blames herself, but think about it, ok?</p>
<p>This may be our only chance to catch him.</p>
<p>The day will restart soon anyway, and they won't remember today.</p>
<p>Bora frowned but nodded in agreement when Minji got their attention as she pointed to her phone</p>
<p>MINJI</p>
<p>Bora, if the next restart is unsuccessful…</p>
<p>Don’t tell Yoohyeon. Only tell me.</p>
<p>I have seen enough of my friends die.</p>
<p>We will take care of this ourselves.</p>
<p>DAMI</p>
<p>I'm in too. Don’t tell Gahyeon because we know she will stop us.</p>
<p>But we will put an end to him once and for all.</p>
<p>BORA</p>
<p>Are you both sure? That would make us murderers.</p>
<p>We may never see our girlfriends again.</p>
<p>I would rather that just happen to me than all of us…</p>
<p>MINJI</p>
<p>DON’T YOU EVEN THINK OF LEAVING ME OUT OF THIS! YOU HEAR ME?</p>
<p>HE SLASHED MY THROAT, AND I WATCHED YOOHYEON BEING STABBED INSTEAD OF ME!</p>
<p>YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT WANTS REVENGE BORA!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>DAMI</p>
<p>Remember, I just lost the use of my arm, he kidnapped my girlfriend and then killed us.</p>
<p>You are not the only one that wants revenge, Bora…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>BORA</p>
<p> This will only happen if Handong can't remember him.</p>
<p>We shouldn’t just become murders.</p>
<p>Imagine what Siyeon Gahyeon and Yoohyeon would think of us</p>
<p>We would no longer be there to protect him</p>
<p>We would leave them alone. They would be marked people that dated murderers</p>
<p>It will have to be our last resort. Ok?</p>
<p>The three grew quiet as they looked at Bora’s last message. Bora was right, and it shocked Minji that Bora was the voice of reason for once. But as she watched Bora looking at Siyeon, who was sleeping in her arms, she knew that she was the reason for Bora’s reasoning.</p>
<p>Bora had to live through losing Siyeon. She is getting a second chance, but Minji knew that it affected Bora severely, and she was one of the strongest people Minji knew. How would someone so weak and sweet as Yoohyeon or Gahyeon handle the fact that their lovers became murders?</p>
<p>Dami sent a private message to Minji as they watched Bora gently stroking Siyeon’s hair as she kissed her shoulder.</p>
<p>DAMI</p>
<p>Only if we get caught… we only lose them if we are caught.</p>
<p> I have connections…</p>
<p>And I don’t trust Bora’s mental stability right now.</p>
<p>Her panic attacks show that she is starting to get overwhelmed.</p>
<p>We may need to take this into our own hands before she snaps.</p>
<p>If she loses it, then she won't be able to tell us about the days repeating, we won’t be able to help, and We will lose them both. Won't we?</p>
<p>Are you in?</p>
<p>Dami asked, and Minji stared at the messages as she lost herself in thought. <em>‘well… that changes things, connections?’</em> Minji thought to herself. She was thinking of Yoohyeon and Bora.</p>
<p>The thought of leaving Yoohyeon hurt her, but if they fail and Siyeon is gone for good, Minji knew that Bora wouldn’t be able to take it. She would lose both Siyeon and Bora.</p>
<p>To Bora, there was no life without Siyeon, and Minji knew it. She remembered how lifeless Bora seemed at Siyeon’s funeral. How she would jump every time, she would look at her reflection, and soon Minji’s answer became obvious.</p>
<p>MINJI</p>
<p>Ok, I'm in.</p>
<p>But only if we can’t figure this out in the morning once we talk to Handong.</p>
<p>Agreed?</p>
<p>DAMI</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>‘I guess we will just have to wait until morning to see. Won't we?’</em> Minji thought to herself as she prayed for good news.</p>
<p>What minji and Dami didn’t know was that bora was debating doing exactly what they planned to do without them. Listening to Siyeon crying out in pain and finding her all bloody and having to watch as Siyeon cowered from every man that approached sent bora into a rage that she hid well.</p>
<p><em>‘If I decide to do this… I won't make you two murders… I'm sorry…’</em> bora said to herself as she looked down at Siyeon sleeping restlessly in her arms. <em>‘I won't let someone else die because of me… if Handong doesn’t remember then next reset… he's mine…’</em> bora thought grimly as she held Siyeon tighter to her body and relaxed against siyeon’s warm back and closed her eyes to rest for a bit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Fading Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Bora woke up as she stretched in her bed, careful not to clunk herself with the journal resting in her hand. As she looked around, she spotted Siyeon resting comfortably beside her. Bora sighed in relief.</p>
<p>Siyeon was unscarred and resting easily, unlike the restless sleep she had in the hospital the night before. It hurt Bora to know that their attempt at saving Siyeon ended up putting her through much more than she should ever have to deal with.</p>
<p>But Bora didn’t have a choice. Siyeon’s killer was getting more and more unpredictable. From what they heard right before they came to Siyeon’s rescue, he seems delusional, but what was even odder was his extreme hatred for Bora.</p>
<p><em>‘do I know him? Is he really after Siyeon? Or is he after her to affect me?’</em> Bora asked herself. Judging from what Siyeon had explained after her rescue, the stalker would get extremely angry at the mention of Bora’s name.</p>
<p>Siyeon thought that the reason for it at first was because she was mentioning her lover to someone claiming to love her. But soon, that thought changed. His rage was so strong that it would overpower all of his other emotions. Even Siyeon was starting to wonder if this was really about her or Bora and asked the dancer if she had rejected anyone within the last couple of months.</p>
<p>Bora didn’t know what to say. The answer was, of course. She would always be asked out at the dance studio, and it didn’t help that she was always the one that would do the sexy concepts. So, Bora always had a group of admirers that would follow her around no matter what she told them.</p>
<p><em>‘Could one of them be the one behind this?’</em> Bora asked herself, but she knew that she would have to ask herself these things later. Right now, she needs to call the others and head over to Handong’s.</p>
<p>Bora gently got out of the bed, careful not to wake Siyeon, and quickly snuck outside the apartment away from the camera aimed at her door and called Dami and Gahyeon.</p>
<p>After a quick recap of what happened to make the couple remember the past events, Bora quickly got to the point.</p>
<p>“I want to do something to try to prevent this bastard from getting so close to us. We got all of the cameras but forgot to check out cellphones, and that was a mistake. He also has access to our apartments, INCLUDING Handong’s. We are putting her in danger, and we need to protect everyone… what can we do? Dami?” Bora asked as the younger girl thought quietly on the line.</p>
<p>“what about replacing our cell phones and door locks?” Dami asked after a short silence. “we would limit his access to Siyeon, and this time, why don’t we try what you did last time and keep her away from him completely? You know that if he doesn’t see her, he acts on the night of her concert by entering your apartment, but that was when he still had access to see and hear everything. It will be dangerous, but if we completely blind him and make it look like you two just up and disappear, will he make a mistake?” Dami asked, and Bora thought about this quietly.</p>
<p>“but isn’t this extremely dangerous?” Bora asked as the thought back to the night she died in her apartment.</p>
<p>“yes, it's dangerous. I'm not going to lie. But this time we have more numbers to protect you two. We also don’t know if Handong saw something, but this is also our best chance to find more about him if we decide we need to do our ‘other’ plan.” Dami said, and Bora thought about it.</p>
<p> Yes, it was true. They have more numbers now. Also, there is a chance he will try to make contact and may really slip up this time. It was a good plan, and she would love to spend more time with Siyeon, but she was still worried about the danger.</p>
<p>“Also, I have been starting to go through the fan café to look to see if there is something that stands out, and if he is as obsessive as we think, he may post something on there out of desperation and hopefully that will be another hint at who our mystery stalker is,” Dami said, and Bora hoped that she was right.</p>
<p>“I also finally found another device to track down the hidden cameras in your apartments. The one I used isn’t as accurate and took us longer and may have missed some, so we will go back over the apartments just in case and double-check after the locks and phones are changed. This one intercepts the cameras that use Wi-Fi to transmit their data directly to the stalker wirelessly, and we will be able to see what he does and find the cameras quicker.” Dami said, and Bora couldn’t help but think that whatever that device was, it must be crazy expensive.</p>
<p>“He will be truly blind after we find all of the cameras and mics. We can also turn them on him and use the same methods to keep the building under surveillance. Once we do this, though, we have to be on high alert. Is it a plan?” Dami asked, and after another short discussion, Dami hung up to go with Gahyeon to buy the new cellphones and get whatever other supplies that she needed for her plan and afterward would head directly over to Bora’s.</p>
<p>After her conversation with Dami, Bora quickly dialed Minji’s number repeatedly until the redhead answered angrily, and Bora quickly recapped the last day. She didn’t go over Dami’s plan just in case he was listening to either of the girls' phones.</p>
<p>After Bora was done with her calls, she ducked inside and quietly went into the bathroom to wash up. After Bora’s shower was done and her teeth brushed, she walked out of the bathroom to see Siyeon roll over with an adorable sleepy look and smile sweetly at Bora.</p>
<p>It didn’t matter how many times Bora sees this. It always takes her breath away at how stunning Siyeon can be even with bed hair. She would always wake up with a slight pout before smiling at Bora like she was her entire world. And the idea of spending the week with her again made Bora’s heart pound with excitement.</p>
<p>Siyeon was so beautiful to Bora that her heart would actually hurt looking at her sometimes. She would do anything for Siyeon. Including having to take matters into her own hands if needed, but she worried about what Siyeon would think if she gets caught. <em>‘I hope you will forgive me if I have to do it…’</em> Bora wished as she smiled back at her beautiful girlfriend and leaned in to kiss Siyeon gently.</p>
<p>“Morning, sleepyhead!” Bora teased as she smiled and brushed some rogue strands of hair out of Siyeon’s face, and the singer just smiled and pulled Bora in for another kiss.</p>
<p>“Morning to you too! Why are you up so early?” Siyeon asked as she gently rubbed her thumb against boras cheek before going in for another kiss. Bora smiled as she told the now routine story about Minji and Yoohyeon helping her with work, and with a goodbye kiss, Siyeon sent Bora next door to go talk to her best friend.</p>
<p>Bora knocked quickly, and as soon as the door opened, and Bora was quickly yanked inside.</p>
<p>“you didn’t do anything stupid without us, did you?” Minji whispered as she looked at Bora skeptically, catching the smaller girl off guard.</p>
<p>“wait, what?” Bora asked as Minji grilled her for information.</p>
<p>“don’t ‘what?’ me! You know the conversation we had with Dami in the hospital…” Minji said, and soon, Bora realized what her best friend meant and shook her head.</p>
<p>“no, we promised to find out what Handong can remember first. Plus, we don’t know enough about the killer to go after him. But do you think she really saw his face?” Bora asked as she looked at Minji with a worried expression. Bora prayed it was true, but it just seemed  like something that was too good to be true.</p>
<p> “I mean, everything happened so quickly, and she told him while she was being wheeled into the back of the ambulance when she could have said it while we all were beside her. Could she have been out of it when she said it?” Bora asked worriedly as Minji thought for a second.</p>
<p>“I don’t think Handong would say something like that without meaning it…” Minji said as she thought of Handong’s personality.</p>
<p>Bora rolled her eyes at her best friend. “I know she wouldn’t lie on purpose. What I mean is she was out of it and hallucinating from the pain medications they gave her to make her more comfortable while trying to get her to the hospital. It’s a possibility that what she remembers may not be true. I just think we need to prepare for that just in case it’s a dead end…” Bora said, and Minji nodded.</p>
<p>“your right. It's better to think the worst and be proven wrong, right?” Minji asked as Bora nodded in agreement as Yoohyeon slowly walked out of the bathroom after getting ready.</p>
<p>“how much longer until Gahyeon and Dami are here?” Yoohyeon asked, and Bora checked her phone. After everything that happened, they all decided while Siyeon was asleep in the hospital to get the tracking app and link everyone together, but they decided to wait and buy all new phones, including one for Siyeon and Handong.</p>
<p>Dami had decided to get a different color for each person to tell them apart because everyone would have to be getting used to new phones, so the color would be an easy way to tell them apart. After a quick call, Dami and Gahyeon informed them that they were fifteen minutes away.</p>
<p>“Dami works faster than I thought…” Bora said as Minji scoffed. Bora looked at her questioningly when Minji reminded her of Bora’s first encounter with Dami, and Bora had to shake her head at the memory.</p>
<p>“Just remember to keep that a secret to your grave!” Bora said as Minji chuckled and nodded.</p>
<p>“Siyeon would kill me twice, first for not telling her when it happened and a second time for telling her and ruining her image of her sister in her head!” Minji joked as Bora smirked. It would sound like something Siyeon would do.</p>
<p>“I'm just glad Dami isn’t the player we worried she was in the beginning. I mean, after all, we found them in bed on their first date!” Minji said as she tried to shake the images out of her head. Yes, they were legally adults at the time, but to Minji and Bora, they were still babies and too young to be doing that.</p>
<p>“well, in Gahyeon’s defense, it wasn’t really their first date. They had been dating for a month but just didn’t tell us because she was afraid that I wouldn’t like that Dami is Siyeon’s fan.” Bora said, and Minji sighed.</p>
<p>“well, that makes me feel better!” Minji joked as they tried to kill time until the couple arrived.</p>
<p>After a couple minutes, a knock was heard at the door, and Bora opened it to admit Gahyeon and Dami.</p>
<p>“oh, thank god the restart happened before the end of the day! I was starting to get worried watching Dami look at her bandaged arm like it was the end of the world!” Gahyeon said as she hugged her girlfriend tightly with a worried expression.</p>
<p>Dami gently hugged her back. Her arm was fine, but the phantom pain from the day before was extreme at the moment. <em>‘I guess because it was so severe?’</em> Dami wondered as she gently flexed her hand and moved her arm, testing it.</p>
<p>“everything ok?” Bora asked, and Dami nodded as she smiled.</p>
<p>“it still hurts. A lot. But I guess I should have expected it, huh?” Dami said as she smiled and moved her arm. “at least I can use it!” Dami said as she tried to be positive and hugged Gahyeon back.</p>
<p>“how did Siyeon look?” Minji asked as she held a worried expression. Bora remembered this morning and realized that there were no signs of discomfort from her girlfriend at all.</p>
<p>“hey, Dami? Before I told you about the repeating days this morning, did your arm hurt?” Bora asked, and Dami thought about it before answering.</p>
<p>“no, actually, I remember stretching and everything without any stiffness or pain. It only happened to hurt after you reminded me…” Dami said as she thought back, and everyone sighed in relief. It meant that Siyeon was pain-free right now.</p>
<p><em>‘thank god… how unfair would it be if Siyeon woke up in pain only to not know why?’ </em>Bora thought to herself, grateful that it meant that Siyeon wouldn’t have to experience the same thing as yesterday ever again.</p>
<p>“leave your cell phones in here and then we will leave and talk more, ok?” Dami asked as she walked out Minji’s door with her big black backpack on.</p>
<p>Once outside, Dami signaled them to lean against the other side of the hall out of range of the cameras when she opened up her bag and started pulling out new cellphones for everyone.</p>
<p>“We got these this morning. It’s what took us so long,” Dami said as she handed out the phones that had a piece of paper taped to it with names and new numbers written on it. “I have one for Handong and Siyeon too just in case. We know Siyeon’s phone is bugged, and it wouldn’t hurt to protect Handong too. After all, he has access to all of your passcodes…” Dami said as everyone pulled out their new phones and powered them on.</p>
<p>Quickly everyone installed the tracking app and added themselves to everyone's phone, including Siyeon’s just in case, and soon, it was time for Bora to catch Siyeon before she leaves to give her the new phone.</p>
<p>“we will wait out here, ok?” Dami said, and Bora nodded. “just remember, put her phone in water so that he can’t hear about the new phone, ok? It won't kill the phone because it’s water-resistant, but it will muffle everything.” Dami said, and Bora nodded and quickly entered her apartment, surprising Siyeon as she was getting ready to leave.</p>
<p>“why hello!”  Siyeon said as she giggled at how easily startled she was, but Bora only smiled and held her finger up to her lips and Siyeon suddenly went quiet as Bora pointed at her phone and then to Siyeon.</p>
<p>Siyeon was confused but pulled out her cell and handed it to Bora. Quickly, the smaller girl ran into the kitchen, grabbed a tall glass that would fit the whole phone in it, and quickly filled the glass with water before sighing in relief and signaling Siyeon to still be quiet and walked outside the apartment.</p>
<p>Siyeon was startled to see not only Minji and Yoohyeon waiting outside her apartment, but her sister and her quiet girlfriend out there as well.  Bora quickly brought Siyeon to the other side of the hall and smiled.</p>
<p>“Sorry for being weird. Yoohyeon got some virus on her phone and asked Dami to look at it. That’s when Dami found out someone installed some listening device on her cellphone. Just in case Dami checked Minji’s and it was on hers too.” Bora said as Siyeon’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“yep, so I had him check mine, and it also was bugged. We all decided to get new phones because we don’t know who was listening. We found it odd that our entire friend circle was bugged, so we decided to take it seriously.” Bora said as she handed a blue cellphone to Siyeon.</p>
<p>“I guess it’s a good thing I know my contacts, huh?” Siyeon said as she gently held the new phone and looked at it. “what is this app?” Siyeon asked as she pointed at the tracking app.</p>
<p>“it’s an app that Gahyeon and I use. It tracks whoever you set it up to, and you can even send a distress call from the app or your smartwatch if you are in danger, and it will alert all of us to your location, and we will come to your rescue.” Dami said and Siyeon’s eyes went wide in surprise as she looked at the app. She was clearly impressed.</p>
<p>“isn’t this the newest one out?” Siyeon asked as she looked at the phone carefully, and Dami nodded. “I can't take this! It’s way too expensive!” Siyeon said as she went to hand Bora the phone back, but everyone shook their heads and refused to take it.</p>
<p>“my cousin works at the company that makes these. He can buy them at severe discounts. I just called in a favor, and he bought them for us. Everyone has a different color. See?” Dami said as she held up her yellow phone, and Bora showed her red phone. Minji’s was bright pink. “See? These colors are not even for sale yet!” Dami said proudly.</p>
<p>“Why thank you, fansite manager,” Siyeon teased as Dami blushed furiously. That reminded Bora that they were supposed to look into Siyeon’s fan café to see if there were any signs of the stalker like Dami planned, but they couldn’t while Siyeon was still with them.</p>
<p>“oh, also the reason that we brought you to this side of the hallway is that my old teacher when I was training to be a bodyguard messaged me recently telling me that thieves are trying a new way to get into apartments,” Dami said, and Siyeon only looked more confused, so Dami pointed up to the fake fire detectors.</p>
<p>“hidden cameras aimed at the keypads of doors. Luckily he told me about this because some thief aimed cameras at your apartment Minji’s and even Handong’s!” Dami said, and Siyeon looked at them in shock before freezing with a confused look on her face.</p>
<p>“how do you know our neighbor's name is Handong?” Siyeon asked, and a wave of panic washed over the group as they tried to act calm. Bora quickly ducked behind Minji and texted furiously and hit send to pop out from behind Minji just in time for Siyeon to look at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>Before Siyeon could say anything, Handong’s door opened, and she looked slightly out of breath as she walked nervously over to the group.</p>
<p>“morning!” Handong greeted, and Siyeon’s jaw dropped open in shock as everyone smiled back and greeted the Chinese girl that Siyeon thought was extremely shy until right now.</p>
<p>“um, good morning Handong…” Siyeon said nervously, and Handong returned her greeting with a nervous smile.</p>
<p>“We were talking outside of Handong’s door yesterday about the cellphones and cameras when she overheard and asked if I could check her phone as well, so we started talking yesterday,” Dami said as Handong smiled and nodded going with whatever Dami came up with.</p>
<p>“so, some creep possibly has access to our homes?” Siyeon asked as she glanced up at the camera aimed at the door, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“It seems that what they do is put them on one level at a time recording the passcodes, and after a while, they break in when no one is home. It hasn’t made the news yet because they didn’t want to cause a panic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes headlines soon.” Dami said as she looked at the fake smoke detectors.</p>
<p>“it’s why I am going to stay and have the locks changed today after we get the cameras down. I will also let you know the new code once it is done so that you have the new passcode to get in, sound ok, babe?” Bora asked, and Siyeon only nodded, still looking slightly disturbed by the situation.</p>
<p>“ok, well… I guess I will get going then…” Siyeon said as she looked at the new phone and then at the others.</p>
<p>“oh, are you going to the café?” Gahyeon asked, and Siyeon nodded. “is it alright if I come with you? I always wanted to see the café you rave about!” Gahyeon asked excitedly, and Siyeon smiled. She could never refuse her sister and nodded. Gahyeon jumped in excitement and followed her sister out as Bora looked at Dami questioningly.</p>
<p>“she’s going with her to protect her. Believe it or not, I have trained Gahyeon in a lot of things because I'm worried about someone taking advantage of her, so she is more than capable of protecting herself as long as she isn’t blindsided like she was with the stalker.” Dami said, and Bora did feel a little better knowing that.</p>
<p>“well, shall we get started?” Dami asked, and everyone nodded in agreement. “ok, then let's start with Handong’s apartment first, it will be the quickest to clear and talk privately.” Dami said as she pulled out the device she had talked about earlier. It had two antennae and a screen that showed nearby Wi-Fi cameras.</p>
<p>After the group entered, Dami started scanning and was shocked to find that Handong’s place DID have cameras, but they were better quality than what the person had put in Minji’s. Specifically, the air vents were one place that Dami forgot to check last time. She even found he had replaced some outlets with one that had a 4k camera built into it that was connected to the Wi-Fi.</p>
<p>“it’s a good thing that he set these up for Wi-Fi and not the memory cards on it, or I wouldn’t have been able to find them…” Dami said as she unscrewed the power outlet and carefully removed the camera leaving an open hole.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t he?” Handong asked as she looked at it in surprise.</p>
<p>“because he would have to enter your house every time to retrieve the memory card. That means unscrewing each outlet to get to the back to get it and then put everything back before you get home. That’s why.” Dami said, and Handong nodded.</p>
<p>“We need to block this so that your cat won't try to get into the wall,” Dami said, and Handong looked for something to block the outlet hole.</p>
<p>“now… here is the scary part. I am only able to find the ones that transmit through Wi-Fi. The ones that record right to a memory card won't be picked up on this.” Dami said as she looked at everyone. “that means that most likely, there are still devices in the house, but he can't get the info once the doors are changed. I know that doesn’t help much, though…” Dami said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“it's so scary to know that someone was watching me BEFORE I talked to you. It makes me wonder if his goal is really Siyeon or girls in general, and he just prefers Siyeon.” Handong said as she shivered. It worried her to know he has seen her naked.</p>
<p>“thank god I'm not dating anyone! I would hate to be recorded like Minji and Yoohyeon.” Handong said as she sighed.</p>
<p>“ugh… don’t remind me… I'm so embarrassed. Every time I go out now, I wonder if someone has seen that video…” Minji said as she shivered as well. Yoohyeon seemed less stressed about it.</p>
<p>“well, at least we looked good in it! Plus, he blurred our faces.” Yoohyeon said, trying to make the best out of it, but Minji just shook her head at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“and what do you think will happen once we piss him off? What OTHER things could he have caught on camera… Halloween?” Minji said as she hinted at Yoohyeon, and the taller girl's eyes went wide as she paled, remembering Halloween night.</p>
<p>“ok… we need to get this bastard. Like NOW!” Yoohyeon said slightly panicked, and Bora knew exactly why. They could hear the noises from the other couples' apartment that night, and Bora had to turn around quickly to fight back a laugh.</p>
<p>Handong glanced at Bora questioningly, and she just shook her head with a ‘you don’t even want to know’ look. Handong nodded and looked back at the others.</p>
<p>Once Handong’s apartment was clear, and the cameras outside the apartment were taken down, Bora called around and got a company to come out and replace both the door with a better metal door and new locks for the three apartments.</p>
<p>They started on Handong’s apartment first so that they had a safe place to return to and then Minji’s and lastly Siyeon’s. After they were finished and the new door locks were installed, the group scanned the other two apartments and cleared out the remaining cameras.</p>
<p>“I'm not sure if I should say I love you for finding all of these or feel more panicked…” Minji said as Dami smiled. She could understand. On the one hand, it’s a relief to know they are gone, but on the other hand, it's terrifying to know that the one place they thought they were safe was actually breached.</p>
<p>“I will go with love, thank you…” Dami teased as they all flopped onto Handong’s furniture. Gahyeon had escorted Siyeon to her practice room and just arrived back as the group entered Handong’s apartment.</p>
<p>“ok, so now can we talk about yesterday?” Gahyeon asked as everyone went serious. “you said you saw the stalkers face?” Gahyeon asked, and Handong’s face scrunched as she tried to think back.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why, but my memories of yesterday are blurry and hard to understand…” Handong said as she tried to think back.</p>
<p>“I vaguely remember walking to the back with some guy… and I remember firing the taser…” Handong said as she rubbed her head in frustration.</p>
<p>“why is it so hard to remember?” Handong shouted in frustration, and everyone looked at her sadly.</p>
<p>“Handong, do you remember what happened after you shot him with a taser?” Bora asked gently, and Handong shook her head.</p>
<p>“I can see images like photos. Some are blurry. Some are not. This doesn’t make sense…” Handong said as she rubbed her temple.</p>
<p>“Handong, you died yesterday…” Gahyeon said softly as Handong looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“But why am I having a hard time remembering it? Everyone else had no problems…” Handong said as she pouted at the others.</p>
<p>The others were unsure of why she was struggling either. This had not happened before, and they didn’t know why.</p>
<p>“well, how did I die?” Handong asked, and Dami decided to explain everything to her as the others went quiet.</p>
<p>“you were stabbed after the killer blinded Eunwoo, the guy that was helping us. He tried to do everything he could to take care of us, and you told him you saw the stalkers face as you were wheeled into the ambulance.” Dami said as Handong tried hard to think. She could only see blurry flashes, and it was starting to frustrate her.</p>
<p>“so, I died on the way to the hospital?” Handong asked, but everyone just shook their heads no. “then how did I die?” Handong asked, confused, and Dami sighed as she rubbed her face and continued to explain.</p>
<p>“you survived your surgery and the night. But the next day in the ICU, you died of a stroke. It seems a clot formed from your wound and traveled to your brain. At least that’s what the doctors explained to us…” Dami said, and Handong’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“so that’s why I can’t remember…” Handong said, and everyone looked up at her in confusion.</p>
<p>“what do you mean?” Minji asked as Handong nodded to herself.</p>
<p>“do you understand what a stroke is?” Handong asked, and the others just shrugged.</p>
<p>“We know It can kill you and they were too late to catch it, that’s all we know…” Gahyeon said, and Handong smiled.</p>
<p>“a stroke is when a clot blocks off the blood supply to the brain. When the brain starves of oxygen, it starts to die, and you can have memory loss and personality changes if the blood flow was blocked for too long. This means that the reason that my memory of yesterday was affected by the stroke.” Handong said, and the others nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“So, does this mean you will always not remember? Or do you think you may start to get memories back from yesterday?” Yoohyeon asked, and Handong shrugged.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. I will keep trying to remember and see if something becomes less blurry or if I remember something that I didn’t before.” Handong said, and the others nodded.</p>
<p>“please tell me your memory will come back… you’re our only lead so far…” Bora prayed as the others nodded.</p>
<p>“I feel so useless…” Handong said as she rubbed her head. She was starting to have a horrible headache from trying to remember, but it was no use so far.</p>
<p>“oh, Dami? Do you think we can have a look at Siyeon’s fan café?” Bora asked, and Dami quickly pulled out her laptop out of her bag, and the others gathered around as they sorted through messages for a couple of hours.</p>
<p>“well, I don’t know if this is very helpful, but these ten users seem to know more than most fans or seem really possessive over her. It’s a start at least, but it's kinda hopeless. It's not like we can track them down or something. Most people use VPNs now…” Dami said in frustration, and everyone leaned back, feeling defeated.</p>
<p>Suddenly Yoohyeon sat up with an evil smirk on her face. “what if we get them ALL in one place? What about then? We can then compare them to people around Siyeon and see if there is a pattern or if we recognize someone!” Yoohyeon said, and Dami scoffed.</p>
<p>“and how would we do that?” Dami asked the taller girl, and Yoohyeon only grinned bigger.</p>
<p>“by miss fansite manager having a contest for Siyeon’s next concert, and the winners will be the ten on that list…” Yoohyeon said, and everyone's eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“that’s actually a good idea…” Minji said and got smacked in the shoulder by Yoohyeon at her surprise. “ouch! Ok, I'm sorry!” Minji said as Yoohyeon pouted.</p>
<p>“I have to admit it too… it is a good idea. But we can't just set up a contest without Siyeon’s permission.” Dami said, and Bora smiled.</p>
<p>“you have her girlfriend right here, and I happen to know she wants a way to be closer to her fans lately. I will message her and see what she thinks!” Bora said as she hopped up and walked away as she messaged on her phone.</p>
<p>After a couple of minutes, Bora walked over, smiling. “she‘s in!” Bora shouted, and everyone cheered in excitement and hugged each other. Finally, they had a plan and started to feel like they were the ones with the upper hand and not the stalker.</p>
<p>“well, let's get this all planned out then!” Dami said as they quickly created a fake contest and posted it on Siyeon’s fan café. “the key to this is that we are not sure if the ten people will apply if we make them enter. So instead, I made it so that anyone on the site has a chance. That way, everyone that needs to be on the list will be whether they apply or not!” Dami said as she smiled smugly and crossed her arms.</p>
<p>“ok, so what about the event itself?” Gahyeon asked as they ironed out the details of the event.</p>
<p>“oh! How will we keep track of ten people when we are only six?” Yoohyeon asked, and Bora had to think.</p>
<p>“oh! What about Eunwoo? I don’t want to tell him just in case the day will trigger to repeat because we have come so far, but what if we ask him if he knows anyone that could be bodyguards for the event or something? He was a police officer after all!”</p>
<p>Handong frowned at the mention of Eunwoo’s name as a memory flashed in her head. It was only sounds, no images. And it seemed far away, but all she could hear was a man apologizing for not protecting her. She could remember him explaining that he failed her like he failed… someone, she couldn’t remember what name he said.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo…” Handong whispered, and Yoohyeon, who was closest, looked over to see Handong looking sad.<br/>“Handong? Is everything ok?” Yoohyeon asked as she looked over at Handong to see a tear roll down Handong’s cheek.</p>
<p>“Handong!” Yoohyeon said, and everyone quickly turned to look at Handong as tears started flowing. Handong didn’t know why she was crying. It wasn’t for Eunwoo, maybe something that he said?</p>
<p> “Handong! What's wrong?” Minji asked as she rushed over and brushed the tears away from her face, and Handong just shook her head.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, but I think I just remembered something from being in the hospital…” Handong said, and everyone looked around worriedly.</p>
<p>“Handong, you never woke up in the hospital…” Minji said gently, and Handong nodded.</p>
<p>“it was only sound, and it sounded slightly far away. Almost like I was dreaming…” Handong said, and Yoohyeon pulled out her phone and started searching.</p>
<p>“it says here sometimes people that are in comas can actually hear and can recall whole conversations after waking up…” Yoohyeon said, and Bora rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“do you actually believe that?” Bora asked, and this time Yoohyeon rolled her eyes. Bora, do you remember when you had your car accident after high school? You were in surgery for hours, and after you recalled what we said to you when you were supposed to be still sedated from the surgery. It’s the same situation for Handong!” Yoohyeon said, and Bora quickly shut up.</p>
<p>It was true that Bora was able to remember conversations. She just thought that she was awake at the time, and they had to repeatedly tell her she was unconscious for three days before she would believe them.</p>
<p>“did you remember this before?” Bora asked, changing the subject, but Handong shook her head.</p>
<p>“no, I didn’t remember this earlier…” Handong said, and a smile crept onto Bora’s face.</p>
<p>“then maybe you just need time for your memories to sort out. Maybe you will be able to remember that bastards face in time…” Bora said as she smirked and looked to Dami and Minji.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Fear of the Unknown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Everything started happening so fast. Dami was planning everything out with the others as they sat around Dami and her laptop. Everyone leaned in intent on the screen as the fan café went wild with the news of the contest.</p>
<p>Siyeon’s popularity wasn’t very huge, but her fanbase was very dedicated to her, so it was soon mentioned all over social media. The concert was only in a few days, so the girls had to act fast.</p>
<p>“We need to talk to that Eunwoo guy fast and see if he can help us keep Siyeon protected. This is blowing up, and I think that the concert will be bigger than last time.” Dami said, and the others agreed. Siyeon would still be at her practice rooms right now, and Bora decided that they would split up.</p>
<p>“well… there is no guarantee that he will agree to help or suggest anyone, but it wouldn’t hurt. We don’t want to tell him about the repeating because he wasn’t a person we knew or really interacted with before the restarting began. So there is a chance telling him may trigger a restart…” Bora said as she thought to herself.</p>
<p>“well, we can at least tell him about Siyeon’s stalker. That has seemed safe so far, and he seems to be a very protective person. Should we go try while some of you escort Siyeon from her practice rooms?” Bora asked, and soon, the two groups were decided.</p>
<p>Half of the group would go to the café to talk to Eunwoo quickly, and the other half would go out with Siyeon treating her to dinner and taking her away from her usual places to go leaving the stalker out of his routine.</p>
<p>The groups were decided. Handong Yoohyeon and Minji would go to talk to Eunwoo at the café, while Bora Gahyeon and Dami would go and take Siyeon out for a mini family dinner but they would have to move quickly because it was getting close to the time that Siyeon usually leaves, and they wanted to be gone before her normal time.</p>
<p>Quickly the groups checked to see that they had everything that Dami got them to protect themselves, including personal cans of pepper spray to go with their batons, and soon the groups were ready to go.</p>
<p>Bora couldn't help but feel excited as she felt like everything was falling into place as she watched Dami setting up the contest and everyone getting ready to leave. The idea was a good one, at least she thought it was. And she still had a hard time believing that Yoohyeon came up with it instead of Dami or Minji. Maybe Minji was rubbing off on the younger girl.</p>
<p><em>‘if Handong’s memories come back and we learn what this bastard looks like…’</em> Bora thought to herself as the excitement coursed through her body. After always being on the losing end, Bora was excited to finally feel like she truly had the upper hand, Bora’s thoughts were all over the place as she tried to think of everything that could go wrong. Minji looked over and could tell that her friend was starting to stress about the details and walked over to calm her hyperactive friend.</p>
<p>“Bora… I know that it's looking good, but don’t get too excited… he seems to plan for everything so we can't get cocky, ok?” Minji asked as Bora sighed and nodded. Minji was right. If she gets too overconfident, it would be her that makes a mistake, not him.</p>
<p>“Sorry, it just feels nice to finally feel like we have an actual plan…” Bora said as Minji smiled and hugged her.</p>
<p>“I understand, but we don’t want to make any mistakes this time. I don’t want to see anyone die this time…” Minji said, and the girls went silent as they remembered so many deaths.</p>
<p>“so, we ready to talk to that Eunwoo guy?” Dami asked as she leaned away from her laptop, back against the couch to look at Bora.</p>
<p>“well… there is no guarantee that he will agree to help or suggest anyone, but I figure it wouldn’t hurt to try. We don’t want to tell him about the repeating because he wasn’t a person we knew or really interacted with before the restarting began. So, there is a chance telling him may trigger a restart…” Bora said as she thought to herself.</p>
<p>“well, we can at least tell him about Siyeon’s stalker. That has seemed safe so far, and he seems to be a very protective person. Should we go try while some of you escort Siyeon to her practice rooms?” Minji asked, and soon, the groups were leaving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Remind me again why we are going to talk a stranger into helping us, but we are bringing Yoohyeon, who, from what you have told me so far, has a tendency to accidentally let things slip?” Handong asked as Yoohyeon faked being insulted and scoffed.</p>
<p>“because she's cute and guys seem to have a soft spot for her,” Minji said as she shrugged and Yoohyeon nodded and hugged her girlfriend excitedly for the compliment.</p>
<p>“but your cute too. You always have a blindingly happy smile, and guys seem to go to mush while looking at you. I know because I have watched it happen.” Handong said, and Minji stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t help but feel slightly flustered. Handong said it so casually like it was a fact and continued walking like it wasn’t a big deal.</p>
<p>“told you!” Yoohyeon said as she smiled and still had her arms around her neck. “you need more confidence in yourself!” Yoohyeon said as she kissed Minji’s temple as Handong waited impatiently for the group to catch up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The three were outside of the café waiting as they tried to think of a plan. Luckily the crowd wasn’t as big as it is when Siyeon first gets there in the morning, leaving a break for the three to approach Eunwoo, who luckily was still there.</p>
<p>The three were arguing over who should start talking first, but it was decided when Handong and Minji elbowed Yoohyeon sending the tall girl flying into Eunwoo as he walked by.</p>
<p>“oh my god! I'm so sorry!” Yoohyeon apologized after crashing into the barista. Luckily Eunwoo didn’t have any drinks in his hands and was able to catch the tall girl before she fell in a most undignified manner.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon glanced over at the other girls with a look that could kill before looking back to the tall barista. Yoohyeons face was red from embarrassment and couldn’t think of what to say as Eunwoo helped her back onto her feet.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re ok?” Eunwoo asked Yoohyeon after the three sat down at a table, and he brought them their drinks.</p>
<p>“yes, I'm so sorry for earlier… SOMEONE pushed me, and I lost my balance.” Yoohyeon said as she glanced over to the two girls who were giving their most innocent look ever. Yoohyeon rolled her eyes at their innocent acts and decided to get back to what they came here for.</p>
<p>“um, actually… can we speak to you for a second?” Yoohyeon asked nervously as she signaled for him to sit in the last open chair at their table.</p>
<p>Eunwoo hesitated, he was about to refuse because it would look bad for him to sit at a table with his customers, but the three girls were giving such strong puppy eyes at him that he couldn’t refuse.</p>
<p>Eunwoo sighed as he sat down for the first time in several hours and looked at the three girls. He couldn’t remember if he has met the three before, but one reminds him of someone, and it made his heart ache at the thought.</p>
<p>“So is there anything I can help you with?” he asked as he looked at the three. Minji and Yoohyeon instantly froze, and Handong sighed. <em>‘I guess I will have to do this myself…’</em> Handong thought as she sighed and leaned forward.</p>
<p>Without realizing it, Eunwoo leaned forward as well as he listened to Handong speak. “we don’t have many friends around the area and even fewer that are guys. Our friend that is a regular here is going to have a concert on Sunday, but she's not very popular, and they don’t have some big company backing them,” Handong said and paused briefly before continuing.</p>
<p>“she has a fan event coming up after the concert, and we were looking for people that wouldn’t mind acting like event staff and bodyguards. Siyeon has a stalker, and we don’t know if he will be at this event or not, and it's making us all worried.” Handong spoke mostly looking down at the table, nervous that she would mess up on her words and finally glanced up to look at Eunwoo once she was done talking.</p>
<p>Eunwoo had seemed slightly uninterested, but that suddenly changed as soon as the word stalker was mentioned. Suddenly he was alert and paying attention to every word, and once his eyes met Handong’s, he knew he couldn’t refuse.</p>
<p>Eunwoo wasn’t attracted to Handong, or at least he didn’t think he was, but she reminded him so much of his dead fiancé that he just couldn’t say no to her. Soon he found himself agreeing and was swarmed by three excited girls as they hugged him tightly.</p>
<p>“Woah… what’s going on here?” another barista came over to tease Eunwoo. “are you trying to collect all the cute ladies?” the smiling barista said as he winked at the girls and looked back to see Eunwoo a vivid shade of red.</p>
<p>“it's not what it looks like, Moonbin…” Eunwoo said, embarrassed. Even though he was extremely attractive, he had little experience with girls and embarrassed easily. Especially by the teasing. He didn’t want the girls to think that he was a player, and Moonbin wasn’t really helping at all.</p>
<p>“I decided to help them with something, and they were just grateful,” Eunwoo said, and Moonbin smiled.</p>
<p>“what are you helping with?” Moonbin asked as he gave Eunwoo a curious look. The barista that was teasing Eunwoo happened to be the man that would always give Siyeon free things in the mornings, knowing that she would still pay for it as she leaves. Yoohyeon couldn’t help but feel suspicious of him as she remembered the first day.</p>
<p>“They need help with an event, and I agreed to help. How many people are you girls needing?” Eunwoo asked, and the girls thought to themselves.</p>
<p>“um, I think around four in total. There are going to be ten fans there, and sometimes they can be kinda obsessive, so we want Siyeon safe. Especially if one of the fans may be the stalker that has been terrorizing her. We figured one person watching each person would really help, but we are four short.” Yoohyeon said, and the two baristas froze at the mention of Siyeon’s name.</p>
<p>“wait, Siyeon? As in the woman that comes in every morning to our café? That Siyeon?” Moonbin asked, and the three nodded. “count me in as long as I'm not working that night. She helped me one day when I was really short on money and couldn’t pay for food, I try to pay her back every morning by paying for a coffee or dessert now that I’m not tight on cash, but she always pays in the end. I would love to have a way to pay her back!” Moonbin said energetically, and the three looked him over.</p>
<p>Moonbin was broad-shouldered and looked like he may be muscular underneath the uniform. The killer was tall but wasn’t nearly as well built as Moonbin, and the girls sighed in relief knowing that he wasn’t the one they were trying to guard Siyeon against.</p>
<p>“Moonbin used to be a police officer with me a couple of years ago. When I left and decided to open a café, he left with me to try to help me out. He will be a great addition if you agree?” Eunwoo asked, and the three nodded right away.</p>
<p>“ok, now two more… what about Jinwoo and Minhyuk?” Moonbin asked, and Eunwoo thought for a second before pulling out his phone and messaging quickly.</p>
<p>“the two he listed are still police so it would depend on if they are working or not that day. So there is no guarantee…” Eunwoo said, and the girls nodded in understanding. </p>
<p>After a couple minutes of messaging back and forth, the other two agreed to come, meaning they had all the people that they needed.</p>
<p>Handong messaged in their group chat that the three were successful and exchanged numbers with Eunwoo and Moonbin before leaving to try to catch up with Siyeon and the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Unknown-</p>
<p>“What the hell is going on?” a male voice echoed in a dark room covered in monitors. The monitors would usually show several screens of his girls, but several were now black or pure static.</p>
<p>Quickly the tall figure walked over to press several keys, and the screens changed to Minji and Yoohyeons screens. Again, nothing but black screens or static.</p>
<p>“GOD DAMN IT!” the man yelled as he smashed his hands down on the desk hard. “what the fuck is going on?” he asked again as he pulled out his cell and pulled up the tracking app. The dot that marked Siyeon’s showed that she hadn't moved from her apartment all day, but he knew that that wasn’t true.</p>
<p>“why?” the figure asked as he looked at his phone in confusion. This wasn’t making sense, and he was starting to feel anxiety now that his cameras were gone. Any time he would feel anxious, he would sit in front of the screens for hours watching his girls. Always in silence. He liked to imagine what the girls would say about him, and the sound only annoyed him.</p>
<p>Quickly he tried to turn on the bugs he planted to see if he could pick up anything, but everyone in the three apartments only gave him static back.</p>
<p>“DAMN IT!” he shouted as he threw his phone across the room. Shattering it.</p>
<p>“This isn’t supposed to happen! Where the hell are my girls?!?” he shouted as he walked back over to the computer and clicked the set that was Handong’s cameras. Again nothing.</p>
<p>In a state of panic and rage, he clicked through every camera. The practice rooms that were now empty but should instead show Siyeon right now, the cameras outside her apartment that now were down. The cameras outside of her favorite café, but Siyeon or Bora wasn’t in sight in any of them.</p>
<p>With one last sigh of frustration, he clicked Bora’s set. Soon he was looking at her dance studio. Working, but his targets were not there. The cameras showed EVERYWHERE in the studio, including the bathrooms and changing rooms for the dancers, hallways, and every single practice room. Another couple buttons, and soon, he was looking at the street right outside her studio but still no signs of Bora or Siyeon.</p>
<p>“just because you removed them doesn’t mean I can't just come and put more in!” the man in black screamed as he grabbed an empty black backpack and quickly filled it full with all sorts of cameras and bugs.</p>
<p>“you're MY girls! You don’t think you all can escape THAT easily, do you?” the figure said as he slowly walked over to the wall of photos. In the center were several photos, but the main focus was a heart made out of several photos of Bora and beside it a slightly smaller one made of photos of Siyeon. Surrounding the hearts were photos of Minji Yoohyeon and Handong. Surprisingly even some photos of Gahyeon and Dami covered the walls too. Slowly he walked by stroking his pictures of each of the girls before leaning to gently kiss each photo.</p>
<p>“my girls, don’t try to escape me! I love you, and I have your best interests at heart!” the masked figure pleaded as he looked at each photo with a crazed expression. Slowly as he walked farther away down his photo wall, he stopped at several photos with black and red X marks all over.</p>
<p>“if only you would have just accepted me, then you would still be alive…” the man said as he gently stroked several photos of a girl. The photos were taken secretly as she was going about her day, and several were of her with her friends, but he stopped to look at two pictures. In one photo, the girl had her arm around a girl that was either her best friend or sister, and in another was one that looked like she had her arm around her boyfriend's neck as she smiled at him happily.</p>
<p>But the stalker wasn’t looking at the deceased girl in the photos. He was looking at her friend and boyfriend. Handong and Eunwoo.</p>
<p>Handong’s parts in the photos were always untouched, whereas Eunwoo’s were crossed out so aggressively that the photos were torn through. The differences in his emotions between the two quite visible.</p>
<p>The figure gently caressed the photo of Handong as he slowly walked out the door, completely ignoring the photos of Eunwoo on the wall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ride to Bora’s apartment wasn’t too long, and soon, he found himself outside Bora’s apartment in utter confusion. The entire door was different. The door was even a different color with different locks. Every code he tried was unsuccessful. And he knew quite a few for how long he had been watching his girls.</p>
<p>Still, he couldn’t gain access. Quickly he planted new fake smoke detectors that were carefully aimed at the doors and quickly decided to set up a couple bugs just in case he couldn’t see the keys. Yoohyeon has a tendency to speak her passcode out loud as she keys it in.</p>
<p>After several minutes of placing various cameras and bugs, he had to flee as one of her neighbors on the other side of the hallway opened the door to leave. Luckily the people on the other side were old and forgetful and wouldn’t recognize him, or they just thought that he lived in one of the other apartments, and soon, he was heading back to his place to check that the angles are perfect.</p>
<p>Once inside, he happily walks over to the monitors and starts setting everything up. In an hour, he now has new sets of cameras and sighs in relief. The stress of feeling blind was making him feel anxious. He didn’t like the feeling of not knowing what his girls were doing.</p>
<p><em>‘How else can I protect them if I can’t see them?’</em> he would try to rationalize. his delusions were strong that he couldn’t understand reality from his daydreams sometimes, and it would show in moments like this.</p>
<p>Now it was a waiting game as he watched and waited for his girls to return. On one screen, he pulled up one of the many bedroom videos he filmed of Bora and Siyeon. After several more videos, while glancing back at the other monitor occasionally, he swapped to one of his favorites. It was a video of Minji and Yoohyeon he took on Halloween, and he was quite proud of it.</p>
<p>He almost debated posting it online like several of his other videos of the girls, but this was just too good to share. As he clicked the video on, he watched as Minji and Yoohyeon came back from a Halloween party. Yoohyeon was dressed as a puppy, and Minji was in a beautiful black dress with her hair perfect, and he could almost feel himself start drooling right away.</p>
<p>Quickly their clothes were gone, and Minji decided on some roleplaying. It was one of the rare times that he ever had the sound on, and soon, he smiled as he watched the video, completely forgetting about the other monitor.</p>
<p>As he was distracted, he didn’t notice that soon the cameras around the girls' apartments were going dark one camera at a time as someone worked their way towards Bora and Siyeon’s apartment.</p>
<p>By the time that he realized that something was off, all of the cameras and bugs were taken down. Gahyeon and Dami work fast, and in a matter of minutes, he was blind again.</p>
<p>“what the hell?” he shouted in shock as he looked over to see blank screens staring back at him. For a second, he froze. “is this another hallucination?” he asked himself quickly as he typed on several keys and again was shown blank screens around the girls' apartments.</p>
<p>Panic and anxiety rose in his chest as he desperately tried to find some kind of contact with the girls and decided to check their social media. Unluckily for him, the girls had decided on no use of social media until the stalker was caught, so as he loaded each girl's social media, he could see that nothing was posted recently.</p>
<p>“They can’t just fucking disappear!” he screamed as he thrashed around in his chair in pure frustration<em>. ‘no contact… no contact!’</em>  he thought to himself as his heart started to pound.</p>
<p><em>‘I, I need something more…’</em> he said to himself as he quickly got up and ran to a closet that had several padlocks on it. After carefully unlocking each one, he opened the door to show a very large and very organized closet that was sorted into parts for each girl.</p>
<p>Quickly he walked through touching and breathing in the scents of each girl feeling closer to them with every breath and step, and soon, he slid against the wall clutching Bora’s shirt that she wore for her latest dance practice video. The plain white button-up smelled like her. He didn’t mind the smell of her sweat on it. Honestly, it only made it smell even better to him. It was like she was right there with him in his arms.</p>
<p>As he clutched the shirt to him and breathed in, a feeling of euphoria was taking over as he clutched it to his chest like a lifeline and closed his eyes, waiting for the bad images in his mind to go away. Bora always had that effect on him. Just the feeling of her being close to him could chase the demons away. So, he leaned against the wall and waited…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora Gahyeon and Dami-</p>
<p>The three surprised Siyeon at her practice rooms, and after some slight begging and pleading from Bora and Gahyeon, Siyeon decided to cut her practice short and go with the three out to dinner.</p>
<p>Usually, they would go to their usual places that were Siyeon’s favorites. But this time, they decided to go to someplace that they never have been to so that the stalker would be thrown off just in case he was watching.</p>
<p>“um, this place looks expensive…” Siyeon said as she looked around the restaurant. It was indeed an expensive place, and they probably wouldn’t have been let in with what they were wearing if it wasn’t for the fact that Dami owned the place.</p>
<p>Quickly the girls were rushed to a room separate from the main restaurant so that they could eat in peace away from prying eyes of creepy stalkers.</p>
<p>“Seriously, I don’t think we could pay for this…” Siyeon said, but Dami just shook her head and held up her hand.</p>
<p>“relax, I own this place. My mother gave it to me a couple years ago just in case my bodyguard job didn’t pay well. She wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be short on money.” Dami said, and both Bora’s and Siyeon’s jaws dropped as they looked around the fancy restaurant.</p>
<p>“This is ALL yours?” Bora asked, and both Dami and Gahyeon nodded. “damn! I know you say you're loaded, but it's different to really see it…” Bora said as she admired the beautiful scenery.</p>
<p>After a couple more minutes of Dami swearing that the meal was on the house, the group finally ordered and enjoyed a wonderful meal.</p>
<p>It felt really good to know that you were not being watched. But just to be on the safe side, Dami pulled out her scanners and checked the room. It was clear, and the group let out a collective sigh of relief and decided on their desserts.</p>
<p>The three left the restaurant feeling happy, and Dami suggested that they meet up with the others at a karaoke bar nearby, and Siyeon smiled brightly as she looked at Bora. Bora only smiled and nodded, agreeing to sing, and Siyeon practically dragged the others into the place.</p>
<p>Handong Minji and Yoohyeon arrived five minutes later, and the group started really having fun. They sang for hours, and when it was getting close to time to leave, Dami and Gahyeon asked if they could spend the night at Siyeon’s. The couple agreed, so Dami and Gahyeon left early to “gather some clothes,” but in reality, Dami and Gahyeon were going to scan the apartments for more cameras.</p>
<p>“by now, he has to know that we took down all of his cameras. Be prepared and remember. Baton in one hand, pepper spray in the other. His mask may block his nose but not his eyes. Blind him.” Dami said as Gahyeon nodded and got ready. Luckily, the stalker was already at his home, but they were prepared nonetheless.</p>
<p>“hold up… we have some outside the entrance this time. He must want to watch who comes and goes now…” Dami said as she tracked the camera down and removed it without being caught on the footage.</p>
<p>Within under fifteen minutes, the entire place was cleaned of cameras by Dami, and the bugs by Gahyeon and not one clip showed the girls on it. They worked fast and soon let themselves into Siyeon’s apartment to relax.</p>
<p>Almost an hour later the others arrived Yoohyeon Minji and Handong and briefly said their goodbyes and walked into their apartments to only come back with pajamas and blankets and that night the group had a sleepover in Bora and Siyeon’s living room as they watched movies and goofed off until everyone fell asleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once morning came, Bora woke up to find herself being hugged by not just one girl but two. Siyeon was cuddling Bora’s left side while Gahyeon snuggled her right. Bora sighed<em>. ‘the lee sisters…’</em> Bora thought as she smiled. ‘so many cuddles.’ She thought as she looked from the lee sisters to see Dami clung to Gahyeon’s back like a koala.</p>
<p><em>‘Hmm, ok, maybe I found someone worse than the lee sisters…’</em> Bora thought as she smiled and struggled to get up.</p>
<p><em>‘oh my god! How are they both so strong in their sleep!’</em> Bora thought as she fought to break free from their booze-induced clinginess.</p>
<p>Finally, Bora managed to break free, and as she woke up, she noticed Handong had woken up during her struggles with the lee sisters.</p>
<p>“morning…” Bora whispered. Handong nodded and smiled as she told her good morning. Handong was between Dami and Minji, but the issue was that Minji clings to anything that moves, which happened to be Handong. So with Bora’s help, Handong was finally freed, and the two walked into the kitchen to make coffee for the others.</p>
<p>“Dami said that he covered the halls with cameras and listening devices last night,” Handong whispered to Bora, who just nodded. They had figured that he would try something like that, and he proved that at least in that perspective, he was predictable.</p>
<p>“I didn’t hear anyone trying to get in either. Though it’s hard to hear over Siyeon and Gahyeon…” Bora said, and Handong snorted, catching Bora off guard.</p>
<p>“what?” Bora asked, and Handong could only shake her head.</p>
<p>“the only person that could rival Gahyeon’s loudness is YOU.” Handong teased as Bora feigned offense.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, me? I am never loud! I don’t have a loud bone in my body!” Bora teased, and Handong smirked.</p>
<p>“I just don’t know how such a loud sound can come from something so tiny. Both of you are tiny with LOUD voices!” Handong teased.</p>
<p>They hadn't noticed yet, but Siyeon had woken up as they argued about who was louder, and she couldn’t help but smile at the two. Siyeon was always so worried about the quiet neighbor that never talked to anyone and to see Bora so close with her so quickly made Siyeon feel so proud of her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“oh! Good morning!” Handong said as she spotted Siyeon. Bora slowly turned to smile brightly at her girlfriend, knowing who it would be.</p>
<p>After a quick discussion, Bora and Siyeon started cooking everyone breakfast, and soon everyone was awake, some with hangovers as they quietly ate their breakfast.</p>
<p>“wow! This is really good!” Handong said, sounding a little surprised.</p>
<p>“of course! It was made with love!” bora teased as she winked at Siyeon, and Gahyeon froze.</p>
<p>“you didn’t do anything kinky in the kitchen before cooking, did you?” Gahyeon asked as she squinted at the couple suspiciously, and bora almost choked on her yogurt drink, trying not to laugh.</p>
<p>“no! you pervert! I swear Dami is corrupting you!” Siyeon teased as she rolled her eyes at her sister.</p>
<p>“We wait until AFTER the company is gone to do it on the counter… wait, when was the last time we cleaned the counter?” Siyeon asked as bora played along, leading Gahyeon to gag, and soon, everyone was laughing at the gullible sister.</p>
<p>After breakfast, the group decided to go to their apartments for a quick shower and meet back at Siyeon’s.</p>
<p>Bora was still determined to keep Siyeon out of the stalker's sight, and she figured that the more people, the safer they were. Once Siyeon went to take a shower, the group quickly grouped up to talk.</p>
<p>“ok, Dami, did he put out any more cameras last night?” Bora asked as Dami pulled out the scanner. Dami walked over to the door and shook her head.</p>
<p>“nothing. He may have worried that we may be lying in wait for him because we cleared them so fast last time.” Dami said, and Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“it means he would probably wait for when he thinks we would be at work, right?” Bora asked, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“that seems to be what he does, I wonder if he actually works. I mean, he can show up at any time…” Dami thought aloud. “it’s something we need to figure out…” Dami said, and everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“ok. Handong, can you Minji and Yoohyeon go and talk to Eunwoo and give him more of the details about the event?” Bora asked, and the three nodded. </p>
<p>“ok, thank you. Oh! Don’t forget to mention that Siyeon has a stalker and that there is a possibility that he could be one of the fans so that they are on high alert, ok?”  Bora asked, and the three nodded as they readied themselves to leave once Siyeon was out of the shower.</p>
<p>“ok, our plan for today is to work out the event with Siyeon. After that, the next two days are just going to be Siyeon and me. That means I will have to stay inside with her. I'm starting to wonder if Siyeon is the only target of this guy…” Bora said, and the others nodded.</p>
<p>“We were wondering the same thing,” Minji said as she looked worriedly at Bora.</p>
<p>“he just seems so obsessed with you in a bad way… he may be going after her to get at you…” Yoohyeon said, and Bora frowned.</p>
<p>Bora had thought of it too, obviously. But the thought that this may all be her fault hurt greatly. <em>‘I really hope that isn’t the case. Siyeon doesn’t deserve this, especially if it is just some twisted way to get back at me for something…’</em> Bora thought sadly.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, Siyeon came out of the shower, towel-drying her hair to let Bora know that the shower was empty.</p>
<p>“damn… I'm suddenly jealous…” Minji said as she looked at Siyeon in low cut silk black pajama pants and one of Bora’s shirts that was just a little too short showing Siyeon’s stomach. That combined with her wet tousled hair and both Minji and Yoohyeon were in admiration of Siyeon.</p>
<p>“back off the both of you! She's MINE!” Bora said cutely as she walked over to Siyeon and wrapped her arms around Siyeon’s waist, covering her exposed stomach and causing Siyeon to giggle at the situation.</p>
<p>“yes. I'm yours and all yours, baby!” Siyeon said as she kissed Bora gently. The smaller girl snuggled into Siyeon’s side and sighed at the comfort.</p>
<p><em>‘please, let this plan work and let everyone be SAFE…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she snuggled into Siyeon’s shoulder and held her tightly.</p>
<p><em>‘Please…’</em> bora pleaded to anyone that would listen.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Handong Yoohyeon and Minji finally left Bora and Siyeon’s apartment and slowly made their walk to the café after messaging to see if Eunwoo would be there. The three were in a good mood after last night and were all smiles as they walked closet to the café and chatted.</p>
<p>“so, do you think that this will work?” Yoohyeon asked worriedly as they walked up to the doors of the café.</p>
<p>“Are you worried?” Minji asked as she looked at how tense her girlfriend was, and Yoohyeon could only nod.</p>
<p>“aren’t you? After all, if this goes wrong… one of us, if not all of us, could die…” Yoohyeon said sadly, and Minji smiled.</p>
<p>“Yoo, we all have died at least once already. Yes, it's scary, but at least we have another chance. We are doing this to protect Siyeon after all.” Minji said, and Yoohyeon nodded, but as Yoohyeon went to speak, Handong interrupted.</p>
<p>“I'm really starting to think that it's not just about Siyeon. Think about it, we ALL had cameras in our apartments. Mine was expensive and well-hidden, which doesn’t make sense to me because I never do anything, and I'm new here.” Handong said as the two looked at her intently.</p>
<p>“Also, the two of you had cameras all over your house as well. If he was just after Siyeon, would he have bothered to put them inside your bedrooms too?” Handong asked, and the other two went silent for a moment as they thought about it.</p>
<p>“well, if he is a pervert, then it makes sense…” Yoohyeon said, and the other two girls snorted in surprise. And soon Yoohyeon couldn’t help but grin too.</p>
<p>“alright… well, let's get this over with. I don’t know why, but that Eunwoo makes me nervous… like I have seen him before.” Handong said as she walked through the doors. Yoohyeon and Minji looked at each other with a worried expression before looking at Handong, who was walking into the café looking slightly tense.</p>
<p>“Is this her remembering something? or something different?” Yoohyeon asked, and Minji shook her head.</p>
<p>“if it was her remembering something, she would tell us right away. This seems about something different. I hope we aren’t walking into a trap…” Minji said as she nervously walked into the café and sat at the table beside Handong.</p>
<p>“well, that was comforting…” Yoohyeon said sarcastically as she followed to sit beside her girlfriend and smiled as Moonbin noticed them and waved excitedly.</p>
<p>“I swear they are ALWAYS here!” Handong said, and the other two nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“well, at least we know that they aren’t involved. They don’t have enough time. Why don’t they just hire more employees?” Yoohyeon said as she looked around the beautiful café.</p>
<p>“because Eunwoo tried to once before and someone broke in and trashed the place. I don’t even think it was the employee, but it didn’t help that he quit the next day. After that, Eunwoo refused to hire anyone that he didn’t know.” Moonbin said as he smiled brightly.</p>
<p>The three had jumped as Moonbin started speaking, not realizing that he had approached, and he couldn't help but laugh at how cute they looked when they were startled.</p>
<p>“Sorry!” Moonbin said before continuing. “but this café means the world to Eunwoo. It’s a way for him to not forget someone he cared about. So, the possibility of someone coming in and messing it up worries him greatly. Even though he looks like a smooth-talking playboy, he is extremely shy and has almost no people skills.” Moonbin said and froze when he heard a familiar voice behind him.</p>
<p>“smooth-talking playboy?” Eunwoo said with a brow raised as Moonbin turned around slowly with a guilty expression.</p>
<p>“you’re lucky I can't hire anyone else!” Eunwoo teased as Moonbin smiled and scurried off to take another order.</p>
<p>“don’t mind him, Moonbin is extremely friendly and likes teasing others. Soon you three will not be excluded from that as well.” Eunwoo said as he smiled and sat down.</p>
<p>“so, do you have the event planned yet?” Eunwoo asked, and the others explained what was planned so far. After talking with Eunwoo for an hour and listening to his ideas, they decided to message Dami.</p>
<p>Eunwoo had some suggestions to help tighten the security that may be a help, and Dami welcomed the ideas, and soon, the two groups were messaging each other as the plan finally flushed out.</p>
<p>After they were done, Eunwoo and the three chatted for a bit.</p>
<p>“so, you mentioned a stalker?” Eunwoo asked as he got slightly tense, and the three nodded.</p>
<p>“It seems someone is focusing on Siyeon too much. She sees him everywhere, and when she told us in the beginning, we didn’t believe her. Now she won't talk to us about it…” Yoohyeon said, only half lying.</p>
<p>Eunwoo frowned as he remembered a situation very similar and nodded sadly.</p>
<p>“it's hard to believe at first. You always hear about stalkers, but it's hard to believe it could be happening to someone you actually know. And usually, by the time you realize that they were right, its either too late or they don’t want to talk to you about it for fear of what you will think of them…” Eunwoo said as he sighed, and the three nodded.</p>
<p>“It seems like your speaking from experience,” Minji said as Eunwoo looked up in shock then embarrassment and nodded but didn’t go into detail, so the three let it drop.</p>
<p>“so how long have you three known each other?” Eunwoo asked, trying to change the subject to something lighter.</p>
<p>“Minji and I have known each other for YEARS. But we became friends with Handong recently.” Yoohyeon said as she smiled, and Eunwoo laughed.</p>
<p>“with the way she teases you and rolls her eyes, I would have thought you three grew up together!” Eunwoo said. He had watched Handong rolling her eyes jokingly at the couple every time they got lovey and was shocked to learn that they got so close so quickly.</p>
<p>“oh yeah, Handong? What made you want to come to Korea?” Yoohyeon asked, and the three noticed Handong’s expression darken a bit as she smiled.</p>
<p>“I lost someone I was close to in china. We grew up like sisters because our mothers were best friends. I was on a trip when she met a boy that was visiting. From what I hear, it was an instant attraction, and he asked her to come back with him, and she agreed.” Handong said as she looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“but after a couple of months, I got news from her saying that she was engaged,” Handong said, and Eunwoo started to tense. The similarities were too much to be a coincidence, right? He thought as he listened to Handong nervously.</p>
<p>“the next day, I got the news that she was killed. We didn’t get many details. She never even told me much about her fiancé. She would always tell me she wanted me to meet him in person and see how sweet he is. After the news, I started to learn Korean. I wanted to learn more about what happened. But once I got here, I didn’t know where to start, and I was so nervous to talk to anyone.” Handong said and looked over to Yoohyeon and Minji.</p>
<p>Instead of looking at her like they expected, the two were looking at Eunwoo with a sad expression. Handong raised a brow in confusion and turned to look at Eunwoo and froze.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was sitting there in shock, and his hands were shaking. <em>‘did I just hear that right?’</em> Eunwoo thought to himself as he glanced up at Handong. He couldn’t help but be reminded of his fiancé every time he looked at Handong, and now he remembered why.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>-Flashback-</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I have been meaning to ask, who is that with you on your phone background?” Eunwoo asked as he gave his girlfriend a back hug and rested his chin on her shoulder.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“oh, my best friend! She's like my sister. We grew up together. I was somewhat sad that you didn’t get to meet her in china, but she was on a trip at the time. I can't wait for you to meet her soon, though.” she said as she smiled sweetly. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Eunwoo hugged her tightly, causing her to fake being squeezed to death, and he giggled as he kissed her neck gently and released her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>-End of flashback-</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eunwoo… are you alright?” Minji asked softly, as Eunwoo was snapped out of his thoughts.</p>
<p><br/>“what?” Eunwoo asked as he tried to blink tears from his eyes before the girls would notice.</p>
<p>“I asked, are you alright? You look like you’re in shock…” Minji asked, and Eunwoo smiled shakily.</p>
<p>“one moment, please?” Eunwoo asked, and the three nodded. Handong still looked completely confused as she glanced at the other two, but they said nothing as they looked worriedly at Eunwoo walking into a back office.</p>
<p>After a couple of minutes, Eunwoo walked out of the office with a photo in his arms. It was clutched to his chest, and suddenly Handong tensed without knowing why.</p>
<p>“I, I think you need to see something…” Eunwoo said. He hesitated before slowly handing Handong the picture frame.</p>
<p>Handong gently took the picture with both hands and slowly turned it around, and once she could see the image, she gasped in shock.</p>
<p>There in the photo was her best friend with her arms around Eunwoo, who was in his police uniform. He looked at her like she was his entire world, and behind them was Moonbin giving the two bunny ears while grinning mischievously.</p>
<p>Handong froze for several minutes, not knowing what to say as she looked at the picture. Minji shifted to the opposite side of Handong, and the two rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort Handong as her mind processed this.</p>
<p>Suddenly she remembered the conversation from the hospital before.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, I failed you… I should have protected you. Now I have failed two people… it's all my fault…” it wasn’t the full conversation, just bits and pieces. But now she knew why she cried at the memory before. He was talking about her best friend…</p>
<p>“what… how…” Handong managed to squeak out as she looked up, confused at Eunwoo. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. His whole body reflected his emotions, and Handong didn’t know how to react. Finally, she decided to ask a question, and it wasn’t what Eunwoo expected.</p>
<p>“How did the two of you meet?” Handong asked softly, and Eunwoo looked up in shock, finally meeting Handong’s eyes briefly before looking down again.</p>
<p>“I went to China to visit my younger brother. He goes to school there…” Eunwoo paused before continuing.</p>
<p>“I was out with my brother. We were spending time together and decided to enter a restaurant. We were talking in Korean as we walked in, and I noticed a girl being harassed by several guys. Her eyes met mine, and she ran over to me and asked me to help her in Korean. I nodded, and she acted like I was her boyfriend.” He said, and Handong rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>It sounded like something she would do. Instead of confronting the men herself and telling them she’s not interested, she would drag someone else into it, and Handong couldn’t help but smile. She was thinking about how shocked Eunwoo must have looked as she spoke to him in Korean.</p>
<p>“How did she know to speak to you in Korean?” Yoohyeon asked, and Eunwoo and Handong answered at once.</p>
<p>“she was a language major.” The two froze before smiling at each other. And soon, Eunwoo continued.</p>
<p>“I asked her that at first, and she said she could hear our conversation when we entered the shop and decided to try to see if we could help. After the guys left, she went to leave, but I stopped her.” Eunwoo said, and the three girls looked confused as to why. Eunwoo smiled as he shook his head.</p>
<p>“Guys like that don’t give up easily. If they don’t believe your story, sometimes they act like they are leaving and wait for the girl outside to see if she leaves alone or not. I asked her to wait, and once we were done eating, I would wait with her until she got a ride home.” Eunwoo said as the girls nodded now in understanding.</p>
<p>“as we left, she spotted the guys who were waiting outside. Once they saw me, they left, but it scared her to know that they were really waiting for her. I gave her my number to call if they came looking for her again after explaining I was a police officer in Korea.” Eunwoo said, and the three smiled at how cute he sounded as he remembered his fiancé.</p>
<p>“she ended up calling me the next day when she spotted the same group again, and so I went over there to help her. After that, we got closer, and soon, it was time for me to go back. I didn’t want to leave, so I asked her to come with me. She ended up agreeing and transferred to a college in Korea and came back with me.” Eunwoo said as he glanced at the picture Handong still held.</p>
<p>“so, your café… is it because of her?” Yoohyeon asked, and Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“our first date in Korea was in a café that is now closed down. We would go to it every morning and soon became friends with the staff. She said that she liked the friendly and comfortable atmosphere and wished that she could have a café that made people comfortable enough to become regulars too.” Eunwoo said and smiled at past memories.</p>
<p>“well, she would be really proud. Siyeon loves this café so much and can't start her day without coming here.” Minji said with a smile, and Eunwoo smiled back with pride. He obviously put his everything into the café, and the three thought it was cute.</p>
<p>“so why did you quit being a police officer?” Handong finally asked once the curiosity got the better of her, and Eunwoo suddenly looked embarrassed.</p>
<p>“after she was gone, it was very difficult for me. How can I try to protect people when I failed to protect the one person I swore with my life to protect? I started taking cases personally, and Moonbin finally had to sit me down and tell me that maybe this wasn’t healthy for me anymore.” Eunwoo said, and Moonbin chipped in startling Eunwoo, who didn’t see him approach.</p>
<p>“he was a complete mess and wouldn’t even eat properly. I was worried that if we ever got a call about a stalker, he would lose it, so I sat him down and talked to him. We both remembered how much she loved that café, and it closed down shortly after she died. So Eunwoo decided to reopen it, and I agreed to go with him. That’s how we ended up here.” Moonbin said as he waved his arms around the café.</p>
<p>“wait, so this is the exact same café that she would come to?” Minji asked, and the two baristas nodded.</p>
<p>“They were going to tear it down and put in another store, but I couldn’t bear the idea of this shop being torn down. We spent every morning here together, so it had a lot of memories…” Eunwoo said, and Handong nodded as she looked around.</p>
<p><em>‘all this time, and I was so close to the answers…’</em> Handong thought as she took in every inch of the store.</p>
<p>“what about the stalker? Did you ever catch him?” Minji asked, but the two men shook their heads.</p>
<p>“he was never found. All we knew was that he used a knife and wore all black. It’s probably a description of every stalker out there…” Moonbin said, but the three froze. Maybe, but it was a description of a very well-known stalker to the girls, and suddenly, Minji was standing up and excusing herself while dialing Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Dami-</p>
<p>The group was going over the plans for the event with Siyeon, who was growing more and more excited when Dami got a call from Minji.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Dami asked as she answered, but the first thing she heard was Minji sounding a mix of panicked and excited.</p>
<p>“go where Siyeon can’t hear me. We may have another piece to the puzzle.” Minji said, and Dami’s eyes went wide as she stood up and walked away, excusing herself to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Once Dami was inside and locked the bathroom door, she told Minji to continue.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo was actually connected to us more than we knew. If this plan doesn’t work out the first restart day after, we need to test it by telling him.” Minji said, and Dami looked at the phone in confusion.</p>
<p>“Can you explain a bit more, please? I'm still confused.” Dami said as Minji apologized and continued.</p>
<p>“remember when Eunwoo told us about his fiancé at the hospital?” Minji asked, and Dami still couldn’t figure out where she was going with this.</p>
<p>“yes, why?” Dami asked, and soon, her eyes went wide as she listened to Minji explain.</p>
<p>“so, wait, Handong came to Korea to find out info about her murdered friend, and it just so happens that that was Eunwoo’s dead fiancé?” Dami asked as Minji told her yes.</p>
<p>“ok, that’s weird, but how does that link with our stalker?” Dami asks as Minji pauses.</p>
<p>“because… the stalker was described as someone that wore all black and used a knife. They said it describes every stalker, but Handong’s friend would always go to the same café Siyeon would go to every morning.” Minji said, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“Also, if the stalker knows about Handong being her friend, then it finally makes sense as to why he bothered to bug her apartment. With such expensive devices too…” Minji said, and Dami had to admit it did make a bit of sense.</p>
<p>“but then why would he change his focus to Bora and Siyeon?” Dami asked, and Minji thought for a second.</p>
<p>“what if it was the opposite of what we originally thought? We thought that he bugged Siyeon’s apartment and then bugged mine and Handong’s to keep tabs on Siyeon…” Minji said and paused briefly.</p>
<p>“but if his original focus was Handong and he bugged ours because we were neighbors, it makes more sense…” Minji said, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“so, because Handong never did anything that caught his interest, he focused on Bora and Siyeon…” Dami said aloud as she thought. </p>
<p>“it is a possibility. I'm still not sure if it’s just Siyeon or Bora is a target too.” Dami mused as she thought over everything.</p>
<p>“what if he bugged Handong’s to make sure that he wouldn’t get caught? He would be looking for a target, and then comes Bora and Siyeon. One is a dancer popular on the internet and the other a singer in a band. Both would be exciting for a stalker, right?” Minji asked, and Dami nodded to herself.</p>
<p>“right. Wait… if Handong’s apartment was bugged and we think it’s the same stalker, wouldn’t Eunwoo’s place be bugged as well? That is if he didn’t move after she died.  But if he didn’t, we could check. If the devices are the same, then you might be right in thinking it’s the same stalker…” Dami said, and soon, the two had a plan.</p>
<p>Minji would ask Eunwoo if he still lived in the same place with his fiancé, and if he did, she would explain their suspicions, and Dami would come over with Gahyeon to check for cameras.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eunwoo?” Minji asked as she walked back over to the table, looking slightly excited.</p>
<p>“yes?” he asked, feeling slightly nervous as he looked up at Minji.</p>
<p>Soon the group was on their way to Eunwoo’s apartment that was shockingly close to their apartment building. And the four waited for Dami and Gahyeon to arrive.</p>
<p>“Sorry that we're so late. I trusted Gahyeon with directions…” Dami said as her girlfriend rolled her eyes and pouted.</p>
<p>“So, where is your building?” Dami asked, and Eunwoo pointed as he watched the two girls pulling out their equipment and started scanning the area for cameras.</p>
<p>“and what did you say these two do for a living again?” Eunwoo asked as he eyed their equipment and spotted the collapsible batons on their belts.</p>
<p>“Dami owns a restaurant, and Gahyeon mooches off of her,” Yoohyeon said, and soon, they heard Gahyeon shriek at Yoohyeon as Eunwoo laughed.</p>
<p>“hey! I do not!” Gahyeon said as she stuck her tongue out at the taller girl and got back to work.</p>
<p>“I found one!” Dami shouted, and everyone stepped closer until Dami made them stop.</p>
<p>“up there!” Dami said as she pointed at the wireless camera. Luckily Eunwoo was tall, and with her directions and the extra height of the baton, Eunwoo knocked the camera down and handed it to Dami.</p>
<p>“This looks like the same kind but an older model. I can't be sure just yet, though…” Dami said as she continued and walked inside.</p>
<p>The two found several cameras and listening devices all over his apartment building that led directly to his apartment. Gahyeon even found two that were dead from age by pure luck, and the group looked at each other nervously.</p>
<p>“look! Dami said as she stood outside of Eunwoo’s apartment. She was pointing as the same fake smoke detector that was outside of the girls' apartment, and quickly, Eunwoo knocked it down.</p>
<p>“This is newer, and it’s the exact same kind. I'm sure about this. Now let's go inside.” Dami said, as Eunwoo unlocked the door, and soon the group walked in and it was just like the other apartments. Covered in cameras that you wouldn’t even notice without the knowledge. The outlet cameras were also set up here, making the girls feel anxious.</p>
<p>“these outlet cameras are expensive. They are also not easy to set up. You need time. That means he set up temporary ones to learn your schedules and put these in once he was comfortable and knew he wouldn’t get caught.” Dami said as she pulled out a screwdriver and removed the cameras.</p>
<p>“This is a sign that we may be dealing with the same stalker. At least to me, it is. All of the devices and placement are almost the same. Just a little more extreme.” Dami said as she continued into the bathroom and bedroom.</p>
<p>Once the two were done, they laid out what they found. The number of cameras was shocking. It was even more than what was found in Siyeon’s apartment, and Dami thought to herself as she looked at the pile of cameras.</p>
<p>“he may be paranoid. He put cameras to catch every single angle. Like he didn’t want his target to be out of sight at all. Maybe that makes him anxious. If that’s the case…” Dami said as she locked eyes with the others.</p>
<p>“we may need more help…” Dami said as she looked overwhelmed.</p>
<p>“you have my help, and Moonbin’s,” Eunwoo said as he looked at the cameras with rage.</p>
<p>“and I have two that can help. They are still working for the police, and I think that they could look into some stuff if we find anything…” Eunwoo said, and Dami looked up excitedly.</p>
<p>“I have some cameras from outside Siyeon’s apartment. Do you think they could get them checked for fingerprints?” Dami asked, and Eunwoo quickly messaged.</p>
<p>“done, we just need to get them to the forensics lab,” Eunwoo said, but soon, Dami frowned.</p>
<p>“I forgot how long it takes to get info back…” Dami said, but Eunwoo grinned.</p>
<p>“that’s why they will send it to a lab where the one who will test them happens to be a friend of mine and would put it as a top priority,” Eunwoo said with a smirk that soon Dami mirrored.</p>
<p><br/>Eunwoo waved goodbye to the police car outside of his café and turned around to the others and smiled.</p>
<p>“he's taking it right to Myungjun. But he just goes by MJ for short, and he promised me that he would have something for us by the end of the day. He works fast.” Eunwoo said, and the others nodded as they let out a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“now, about the event. You planned it to try to catch him, didn’t you?” Eunwoo asked as everyone started to look extremely guilty.</p>
<p>“were sorry. We are not trying to put you in danger, but he is getting bolder and bolder. It's scaring us. And Siyeon won't talk to us about it anymore, but we can tell that besides your café, she's afraid to go outside now…” Minji said, looking extremely upset, and Eunwoo felt his heartache at that.</p>
<p>It reminded him of his fiancé. He hadn't noticed how much more she started staying inside until it was too late. Then everything was clear as day once she was gone. Her nervous looks while they were out. How she started to develop nervous habits.</p>
<p>What made it worse was that he found out that after she had passed, she was pregnant with their daughter. He had no idea when he proposed to her. But it devastated him to find out he lost not just one person but two. One he would never be able to meet.</p>
<p>Moonbin helped name the baby Eunbin, saying that she would have had two fathers. Her real father and her overprotective godfather which was true to a point but mainly because Moonbin wasn’t good at names and wanted to combine the parents’ names, but Eunwoo couldn’t deal with anyone mentioning his fiancé’s name without falling apart yet. So, the name stuck.</p>
<p>Eunwoo hadn’t told Handong that part yet for fear it may be too much too soon and felt guilty about it. <em>‘maybe I need to take her to see them…’</em> Eunwoo thought as he looked at Handong.</p>
<p><em>‘she has the right to know about Eunbin even though she was never born, she is still family…’</em> Eunwoo thought as he tried to fight back the tears that threatened to fall every time that he thought of Eunbin.</p>
<p>“Handong? Would you like to see their memorial? There's something you need to know…” Eunwoo said, and Handong looked at Eunwoo, questioning the ‘their’ not ‘her’ but agreed, and soon, Eunwoo walked into the café to close it early.</p>
<p>“Moonbin is coming with us. So that he can explain just in case I can’t…” Eunwoo said, and Handong nodded.</p>
<p>“Should we wait for you at your apartment?” Gahyeon asked, but Moonbin responded first.</p>
<p>“you may want to go with her for emotional support,” Moonbin said and locked eyes with Minji sharing a silent conversation.</p>
<p>Minji nodded as they set out to wherever the two were taking them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t understand…” Handong said as she looked at the two jars inside and looked up to Eunwoo, who couldn’t look at them.</p>
<p>There in the glass enclosure were two urns. One average-sized with her best friend's name on it, the other one was tiny with the name Eunbin written on it. Handong looked at Moonbin in confusion, and he smiled sadly at the tiny urn before speaking.</p>
<p>“Eunbin was their unborn daughter…” Moonbin said softly as he looked at Handong.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo didn’t know that she was pregnant until the autopsy, but we found out later that she had just found out,” Moonbin said as Handong’s eyes went wide. Minji and Yoohyeon went to either side of the girl just in case the information was too much and looked at the tiny urn sadly.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo found a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom trash after he found out. She never got the chance to tell him…” Moonbin said as he glanced at Eunwoo, who walked away to lean against the opposite wall struggling to fight back his grief.</p>
<p>Handong slowly walked over to the glass and rested her hand against it. She was unsure of what to do or say and finally sighed as she looked at the tiny urn.</p>
<p>“hi, I'm your aunt. I'm sorry I never got to meet you…” Handong struggled to say, but soon sobs choked her. She slowly looked over to the photo of her best friend and smiled sadly.</p>
<p>“I'm sure she would have been as beautiful as you…” Handong said as tears fell down her cheeks.</p>
<p>Minji and Yoohyeon softly whispered soothing words to Handong as she cried in front of the two small jars. It wasn’t until Dami walked up to see the picture that she spotted something out of place.</p>
<p>“are you fucking kidding me?!” Dami shouted as she stomped off to the car and came back with some tools.</p>
<p>“what are you doing?” Eunwoo asked, and Dami silenced him with a serious look. With Gahyeon’s help, they removed the glass, and Dami reached inside to pull out a small camera. It wasn’t a Wi-Fi camera. It was memory card based so it wouldn’t show up on her equipment, and as she turned around with it in her hand, the group went quiet.</p>
<p>“is that what I think it is?” Moonbin asked as rage washed over Eunwoo’s face.</p>
<p>“he even wanted to watch this? Was nothing private? Was this some fun game to him? Was my family a joke to him?!” Eunwoo shouted before collapsing onto the ground in grief as he sobbed.</p>
<p>Minji walked over to Dami as the younger girl looked at her with an angry expression.</p>
<p>“you know what this means, right? You know he knew that she was pregnant. We saw all of the cameras that were placed inside that bathroom…” Dami said as her anger boiled.</p>
<p>“How could he not know? He had to feel like his prize was completely taken away. First, finding out that she was engaged must have been a shock, but the stalker probably still had hope that he could break up their engagement.” Minji said, and Dami finished the rest.</p>
<p>“then to find out that she was pregnant as well. There would be no way around that. He would know that Eunwoo would never break off the engagement if he knew. The stalker must have felt like he finally lost his prey…” Dami said as the two looked over to Handong, who was now being comforted by Yoohyeon and Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“the more I learn about this guy, the more I hate him…” Dami said as she looked at the tiny urn again.</p>
<p>“you're not the only one…” Minji said as she looked at the grieving father and Handong.</p>
<p>“I think we need to tell Bora this,” Minji said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“But you know she has a soft spot for kids...” Dami said as Minji frowned.</p>
<p>“yes, but she needs to know. She's the one that makes us remember, and we don’t want to forget this fact…” Minji said, remembering the tiny urn, and Dami nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“This guy needs to suffer…” Dami said, still staring at the tiny jar, and Minji nodded in agreement as she pulled out her cellphone and dialed Bora.</p>
<p>“hey, Bora? We have some news…” Minji said as she walked off to fill Bora in on what she missed.</p>
<p><em>‘I promise we will get you two justice. One way or another…’</em> Dami thought as she gently touched each jar before putting the glass back with Moonbin’s help.</p>
<p><em>‘I mean it…’ </em>Dami thought as gave one glance back to the tiny urn and then followed the group as they slowly walked to their cars.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>The car ride back was silent as everyone tried to comprehend everything that they just witnessed. The stalker was experienced. Siyeon wasn’t his first target, and that means he is even more dangerous than they originally thought.</p>
<p><em>‘he has killed before, and just like with Siyeon, he got into their house, and Eunwoo came in to find her dying…’</em> Minji thought to herself with a frown as she worried. Yoohyeon hugged her, trying to comfort the older girl, and Minji just smiled at her caring girlfriend before hugging Yoohyeon back.</p>
<p><em>‘how do we stop someone so crazy… he even put a camera beside their urns. He wanted to watch Eunwoo suffer…’</em> Minji thought to herself as they rode safely back to the café and looked worriedly at Handong. The girl had been quiet the entire way back, and Minji was worried as she thought about the stalker<em>.</em></p>
<p><em> ‘if he put the effort in to bug their memorial. That means he probably really hates Eunwoo. Why else would he do that but to watch him suffer? Are we putting Eunwoo in danger?’</em> Minji wondered as they got out of the car and glanced at Eunwoo, who was slowly walking into the café.</p>
<p>“what did Bora say?” Dami asked as she grabbed Minji’s arm, gently stopping her from following Eunwoo into the café. She was looking at Minji intently, and the older girl sighed.</p>
<p>“well, let's just say she didn’t handle it well… I'm just glad she has to stay with Siyeon, or I would be worried that she would try to go off without us and do something stupid…” Minji said, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>The call with bora went surprisingly well, which unnerved Minji greatly. Bora was known to like children, and the news of Handong’s unborn niece didn’t settle well with the dancer. But bora kept a calm voice as she talked to Minji, which was like blaring warning signs to Minji. Bora would never handle this well. But one thing was for sure about the stalker…</p>
<p>“he is more dangerous than we thought… how are we going to be able to stop him?” Dami asked more to herself than to Minji as they nervously walked into the café where the others were waiting for them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ok, so what was the plan for this event?” Eunwoo asked with a serious expression as he sat at the table beside Moonbin.</p>
<p>“well, we went through Siyeon’s fan café and looked at ones that seemed the most obsessive and set it up,” Dami said as Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“what about if the ones that you are targeting don’t apply to the event?” Eunwoo asked, and Yoohyeon smirked.</p>
<p>“it doesn’t matter if they apply or not. We set it up so that the whole fan café would have the chance to be chosen and we will announce the winners the day before the concert, so tonight actually. and then we hope that he will slip up and show himself.” Yoohyeon said, and Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“well, some parts are good, and others are not. You don’t all have the training to protect yourselves just in case the person really IS one of the contest winners. What if Yoohyeon gets paired up with him?” Eunwoo asked, and everyone paled at the idea.</p>
<p>“hey! Are you saying I can't protect myself?” Yoohyeon asked as she pouted, and everyone chorused ‘yes’ as she sulked and slid down in her seat with her arms crossed.</p>
<p>“ok, if we are going to do this, we need to plan properly… Moonbin? Can you call the others? I know that they got today and tomorrow off for the event.” Eunwoo asked, and Moonbin nodded and started dialing their numbers.</p>
<p>After a couple of quick calls, Moonbin was back saying that they were on the way and started asking the girls some questions.</p>
<p>“so, have you ever thought about calling the police about the stalker?” Moonbin asked, and Bora shook her head as she explained about how Siyeon tried to tell her before, but Bora didn’t believe her, and now she wouldn’t even mention the idea to Bora anymore.</p>
<p>Moonbin nodded in understanding. He had witnessed the same thing happening to Eunwoo’s fiancé, so he wasn't really surprised but frowned. He didn’t like knowing that Siyeon was struggling so much.</p>
<p>“well, let's get everything planned out well so that everyone will be safe tomorrow, ok?” Moonbin asked, and the girls nodded as they sipped their drinks that the two boys made nervously.</p>
<p>“oh!” Minji said in shock as one of the officers walked into the café. The girls looked at each other as they recognized him from the night that Siyeon was kidnapped by that lunatic and smiled. Minji remembered him being very kind and understanding.</p>
<p>“Hello, I'm Minhyuk.” He said as he bowed and dragged a chair over to the table beside Eunwoo and Moonbin.</p>
<p>“Nice to meet you!” Minji said as she smiled and shook his hand. It was a relief to at least know one of them. <em>‘at least he isn’t a stranger. He won't remember us, but I remember him, and I'm glad we got the nice officer from that night.’</em> Minji thought to herself as she smiled and looked to the others. Everyone but Handong seemed to recognize him and smiled back.</p>
<p>“Jinwoo should be here soon. You know he drives slow when he's not working.” Minhyuk said as Eunwoo laughed and nodded.</p>
<p>Shortly after, the doorbell dinged, signaling another person walking into the room. He was short compared to the others but built well for his height<em>. ‘I guess to make up for his height, he started working out. It's like how Bora became a dancer because others picked on her because of her height. After she started dancing, the teasing stopped…</em>’ Minji thought to herself as she thought of the past and smiled.</p>
<p>“Sorry I'm late. I'm Jinwoo.” He said as he smiled and sat down beside Moonbin. “I heard that there is more to this story now from MJ…” Jinwoo said, and Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“that’s what we are here to talk about. Any news from MJ?” Eunwoo asked, and Jinwoo sighed as he pulled a brown envelope out of his police jacket.</p>
<p>“yes, I do, and I have some SERIOUS questions after this…” Jinwoo said as he slowly handed the results to Eunwoo.</p>
<p>Eunwoo hesitated before slowly opening the envelope. As he pulled out the pages inside, he saw the words MATCH in big red letters.</p>
<p>“match? A match to what?” Eunwoo asked as he looked up to Jinwoo, who looked hesitant to answer.</p>
<p>“Remember, after your fiancé died, we pulled a couple of partial prints out of your apartment, but they didn’t match any of your friends or family and weren’t in the system?” Jinwoo asked, and Eunwoo nodded as he tensed up.</p>
<p>“it’s a match to those partial prints. It’s the same person Eunwoo. What the hell is going on?” Jinwoo asked as Eunwoo stared at the pages in his hands. The pages trembled as his hands shook with emotions that swirled inside him.</p>
<p>“so that means the one who is watching us all is the same one that targeted Eunwoo and his fiancé…” Dami said as she reached into her backpack and pulled out her laptop.</p>
<p>“Minji… I know you don’t want others seeing that clip, but…” Dami hesitated, and Minji stiffened as she looked to Yoohyeon. Her girlfriend was staring back at her with confidence, and Minji nodded as she sighed, giving Dami the ok to show it.</p>
<p>“ok, so when we were over at Handong’s apartment, Bora, who is Siyeon’s girlfriend, forgot something at her apartment next door… when she came back and started talking to us, we heard her door closing. Someone was inside Bora and Siyeon’s apartment. He was INSIDE when she walked in there briefly.”  Dami said, and the boys leaned in listening intently.</p>
<p>“We started to wonder how he knew to enter when she wasn’t there, so as we walked outside Handong’s apartment, I noticed a smoke detector that wasn’t there before. They were cameras, and they were trained at Handong’s, Minji’s, and Bora’s doors. Specifically, at the keypads.” Dami said as Jinwoo nodded grimly.</p>
<p>“so that’s how he got access into your apartments. But how did you find all of those cameras?” Jinwoo asked, and Dami smiled as she pulled out her equipment.</p>
<p>“I used to be in training to be a bodyguard. One of the classes was sweeping rooms and gifts for bugs or cameras.” Dami said as she showed him the gear she used, and he whistled, impressed at the expensive equipment.</p>
<p>“well, it seems to be a good thing that you have her here, huh?” Jinwoo said as he smiled, and the girls all smiled and agreed with the friendly officer making Dami blush at the compliments.</p>
<p>“that’s not all, though. He even bugged all of our cell phones. We originally thought that Siyeon was the only target. However, the cameras installed inside Handong’s apartment were much more expensive. we now think that his original target was Handong because she was best friends with Eunwoo’s fiancé.” Dami said, and both Minhyuk and Jinwoo looked at Eunwoo in surprise.</p>
<p>Eunwoo nodded at them, telling them it was true as they stared at the two in shock. “so, is he targeting Handong or Siyeon?” Minhyuk asked as he looked at Handong, who seemed to be off in her own world at the moment, but no one could answer.</p>
<p>“that’s where it gets confusing. We originally thought that he was after Siyeon, but he also shows an obsession with Bora as well. Do either of you know of Bora’s dance videos?” Dami asked, and the four shook their heads.</p>
<p>Dami nodded and cued up the video of Bora’s most recent dance cover. “this is her most recent one. She danced to copycat, and as you can see, she always has sexy concepts for her dance covers. It has brought her a lot of fans. Maybe one of them could be this stalker.” Dami said as Jinwoo watched the video and scrolled down to the comments.</p>
<p>There were indeed a lot of sexual comments from obsessed fanboys and fangirls. It could be a possibility that their target was hidden behind one of these comments. “so why do you think that he switched his focus?” Jinwoo asked as he looked intently at Dami, but this time Gahyeon explained.</p>
<p>“We think that while he was watching Handong, he decided to cover her neighbors as well. Just in case she was to start interacting with her neighbors. And that was when he found my sister and Bora. One is a popular dancer on the internet while the other is a singer in a rock band. It would be extremely tempting for a stalker, don’t you think?” Gahyeon asked, and Minhyuk nodded.</p>
<p>“If he is, then this is a little weird. Usually, a stalker focuses on one target, but there are three now…” Minhyuk said as he thought to himself.</p>
<p>“five,” Dami said, and the others looked at her in shock as she pulled up Yoohyeon and Minji’s video and turned it towards the guys.</p>
<p>“Woah!” they chorused as they jumped in shock of Minji and Yoohyeon’s sex video. The boys made sure not to look at Minji or Yoohyeon as it played, and they felt EXTREMELY uncomfortable as they watched their new friends do certain things to each other.</p>
<p>“you don’t need to look too hard, please?” Minji asked nervously, and quickly, Dami flipped the laptop around, causing a sigh of relief from both Minji and the boys that sat across the table from her.</p>
<p>“he recorded Yoohyeon and Minji and then uploaded it onto the internet. Why he blurred their faces if he was going to upload it, I have no idea…” Dami said as she shook her head and turned the computer back to herself to stop Minji from turning an even deeper shade of red.</p>
<p>“because it was too good to keep to himself?” Minhyuk asked, catching everyone off guard.</p>
<p>“What?” the girls chorused as he blushed.</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean it like that! I mean, he may think that the video was too good to keep to himself. But he hid your faces because you are ‘his.’ You know what I mean?” Minhyuk asked as he looked around.</p>
<p>“so, it was almost like a way of showing he cared? Like oh, I may have posted you two having sex, but at least I hid your faces?” Minji asked, and Minhyuk nodded.</p>
<p>“he may think that all of you belong to him. He was showing off what he has like teasing everyone by saying, look at what I have that you don’t.” Minhyuk said, and the girls nodded.</p>
<p>“you two, do you spend a lot of time around Bora and Siyeon as well?” Jinwoo asked, and Gahyeon nodded.</p>
<p>“then he may be targeting the two of you as well. It seems like he focuses on everyone around his target. Have you checked your OWN apartment?” Jinwoo asked, and Dami paled as Gahyeon looked at her girlfriend nervously. Dami shook her head no, and Jinwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“would it be alright to head over to your apartment before we start planning everything? If the two of you are added to the list, then we need to approach this differently. We can't have you girls with the contest winners because he focuses on all of you. We need to know if you’re a target too.” Jinwoo said, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“well, let's get this over with then… I can't believe I didn’t even think to check my own house! I knew we were pissing him off too…” Dami grumbled as everyone got up and walked outside.</p>
<p>“we will take one vehicle. I got the police van just in case we had to go anywhere as a group. I figured the word police in big letters would deter some people.” Jinwoo said as he smiled and opened the doors to what looked to be a very expensive van. There were eleven seats in total, and everything looked high quality.</p>
<p>“This van used to belong to a company that trained idols. They were using it to transport drugs to events and forcing their trainees to sell for them. The van was seized and turned into a police vehicle.” Moonbin said when he noticed the girls look at the van strangely.</p>
<p>“it was Eunwoo who busted that case. He was going to get promoted because of it. But sadly, you know what happened next…” Moonbin said as he helped the girls into the car one at a time before climbing in as well.</p>
<p>“so, what happened to the company?” Dami asked out of curiosity, and the officers frowned.</p>
<p>“He got off. Sacrificed all his employees below him and got out without even probation. We just couldn’t get enough evidence to pin it on him…” Jinwoo said as he gripped the wheel tightly. It was a sore spot for Jinwoo because it was due to a small slipup on his part that the guy was able to get away with it.</p>
<p>After around fifteen minutes, the group pulled up outside of Dami’s house, and she got her equipment ready.</p>
<p>“son of a bitch!” Dami shouted as she turned on the device and was staring at the view outside of her building. “and the bad thing Is I don’t know if this is new or old!” Dami said as the group filed out of the van and, with the help of Eunwoo, started sweeping for cameras.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“well, at least there weren’t as many as everyone else!” Gahyeon said as she tried to cheer up her girlfriend as she stared at the pile of cameras on the café table in front of them. That didn’t make Dami feel better, though. It was Dami’s responsibility to protect Gahyeon, and she felt like she failed her.</p>
<p>“Seriously, it's alright. We checked online, and there are no videos of us. Please don’t worry like this…” Gahyeon pleaded with Dami as the girl's shoulders slumped at her begging. She was always weak to Gahyeon, and the younger girl held her in an attempt to soothe her.</p>
<p>“she doesn’t seem to be taking it very well. Will she be ok?” Jinwoo asked as he looked at Minji for an answer.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. I think she feels so much pressure because she has had to be the one that had to take the lead so far, and she feels like she has failed. She tends to take things very seriously.” Minji said, and he nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“well, now we know that all of you are targeted… This changes things. I can try to call some more of our friends and see if they will help. We don’t want all of you to be put in danger. If he can't get to his main target, he may choose to go after one of you.” Minhyuk said, and Minji smiled in gratitude as he pulled out his cell and walked off to make some calls.</p>
<p>“well, while he's doing that, let's get something to eat. I ordered some food so that we can eat while we talk.” Eunwoo said as he went behind the bar and started making drinks for everyone.</p>
<p>After Gahyeon consoling Dami for several minutes, she looked up to nod at Minji, and Minji signaled that it was ok to approach the couple.</p>
<p>“It looks like the food is here!” Jinwoo said as he looked up to see a delivery person walking up to the café and walked over to the door to take the food as Eunwoo paid the driver, and soon, they were laying out the food and eating as they planned for tomorrow.</p>
<p>“ok, so I got in contact with a couple of my friends, and they agreed to help. What we need to do now is plan how the event goes. So how many are there going to be again?” Minhyuk asked as Dami grabbed her laptop again to show them what they had planned.</p>
<p>“ok, we chose ten of the most obsessive fans from her fan café, as I said before. Here are some of their messages and posts.” Dami said as she turned the laptop around.</p>
<p>The boys read the comments and talked among themselves as they chose who got who, and after a while, they came to an agreement. “ok, we have decided the ones that seem the most dangerous, and we will take those. The others won't know as much as we do, so we are placing the ones that seem less dangerous with them.” Moonbin said as he looked at the girls.</p>
<p>“I would also appreciate it if you could manage to get their fingerprints as well while you are at it…” a stranger said as he walked into the café, causing the group to jump in surprise.</p>
<p>“Damn it, MJ! you scared the hell out of us!” Jinwoo shouted as he almost fell out of his chair while clutching his chest dramatically. “what are you doing here, by the way?” he asked as he looked at his friend.</p>
<p>“I just saw you a couple of hours ago!” Jinwoo said, and MJ nodded.</p>
<p>“I came because I thought that if you have many suspects, you could get me some fingerprints to compare to the ones that we gathered from the cameras. If we manage to get a match, then we will know who our target is or at least be able to rule out some of the others so that we have a shorter list to go from.” MJ said as everyone nodded at the idea.</p>
<p>“But how will we be able to do that?” Yoohyeon asked as she looked at MJ. “it's not like we can say here, let us fingerprint you before you enter.” Yoohyeon said, and MJ laughed.</p>
<p>“well, it would make it easier for me! But no, if you give them drinks or something like that, then they will be holding them leaving their fingerprints behind and also possible DNA that we can test for later. That way, if something comes up and we will be able to identify him through fingerprints AND DNA, he can't escape then.” MJ said, and Yoohyeon nodded as she smiled.</p>
<p>“We can’t ask you to wear gloves because that would be suspicious, so if I can have your fingerprints so that I can rule you out, it would make this so much easier,” MJ said as the boys groaned and rolled up their sleeves knowing the drill.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Gahyeon asked as Moonbin smiled apologetically.</p>
<p>“He needs to get all of our fingerprints so that he can rule us out. Instead of scanning against the whole database, he will be going against the print that we know belongs to the stalker. So, if we accidentally touch it, his system will rule out our prints right away.” Moonbin said as MJ started distributing blank pages to everyone and ink pads.</p>
<p>“Sorry, it’s a bit messy, but at least it will allow me to have the results back quickly,” MJ said as he looked at the girls apologetically. “I will be nearby with my equipment ready to scan it as soon as you bring me something. The longest part will be just getting the prints off of the items themselves. Once that is done, we should have the results rather quickly.” MJ said proudly as he smiled at everyone.</p>
<p>“but I thought it was a huge machine that toon several hours to run? How can you get it done so fast?” Minji asked as everyone tried to clean their hands from the black ink covering them, and MJ grinned.</p>
<p>“it usually does. But I have been working on a prototype for a new one, and it’s the perfect way to test it too.” MJ said as he smiled, and the others groaned. Obviously, he had talked about it a lot judging from the groans, and the girls couldn’t help but laugh at the boys' expressions.</p>
<p>“ok, so we need to have drinks or something and someone who will act as a runner to MJ, right?” Minji asked as she smiled and looked at Yoohyeon. Yoohyeon smiled once she realized her girlfriend's plan and nodded.</p>
<p>“We can supply drinks and food for the event. That way, they will feel more comfortable to eat and drink. The others can even help by making it look like they are assisting us. That will give them reasons to take their empty cups or glasses, right?” Minji asked as she looked at the others excitedly.</p>
<p>“but the event is tomorrow. Do you even have enough time to prep this?” Eunwoo asked worriedly, and Minji just smiled.</p>
<p>“of course! I run a shop that specializes in cakes and desserts. I'm sure we can get them there by the concert and have enough for the staff!” Minji said, and Eunwoo nodded, liking the idea.</p>
<p>“then we will just have to stick with them and signal you when it’s time to approach them for their cups or plates, right?” Eunwoo asked, and Minji smiled.</p>
<p>“it will also allow us to wear gloves. We will be prepping food, so it won't be too suspicious.” Minji said, and MJ nodded in excitement.</p>
<p>“excellent! This is becoming easier and easier!” MJ said excitedly as Moonbin shook his head.</p>
<p>“don’t forget that this person was the same one that killed Eunwoo’s fiancé. We don’t want to take him too lightly.” Moonbin reminded MJ as he frowned.</p>
<p>“I know that! I'm the one that matched the prints. I knew that Eunwoo putting a rush on it had to be related to that case, so I automatically pulled up the results from that time, and it was a match. What took me so long was combing through all of the evidence to see if my predecessor missed anything on the evidence for the case!” MJ said as he frowned.</p>
<p>“just because I'm excited doesn’t mean I'm not taking this seriously, you know!” MJ said as he sulked and flopped down in an open chair.</p>
<p>“well, let's just keep our eyes open, ok? There is no guarantee that this guy will be one of them, but every one of them has shown stalker-like behavior. So, keep a close eye on them, ok?” Eunwoo asked, and the group nodded in agreement as he smiled.</p>
<p>“ok, so do we need to fill anyone else in with this plan?” Eunwoo asked as Minji stood up and nodded.</p>
<p>“Bora. We have to tell her how the plan has changed so that they are ready for tomorrow. And remember, we don’t want to freak Siyeon out, so don’t let her know what is going on. The only other time she feels comfortable besides being at home or in this café is when she sings. We can't ruin that for her, ok?” she asked the boys, and they nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“ok, I'm going to go call Bora then…” Minji said as she walked out of the room with her phone in hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“hey, Bora? There has been a slight change in the plan. You have a second?” Minji asked as she stressed about what the smaller girl would say.</p>
<p>“wait, that bastard put cameras in the baby’s apartment too?” Bora asked as her voice raised in the bathroom<em>. ‘what nerve</em>!’ Bora thought as she felt her anger rising. She couldn’t believe that the pervert would even go through the trouble to even bug Dami and Gahyeon’s apartment. There was really no need for that, right?</p>
<p>As Minji explained everything, Bora became more and more nervous. The idea that he was targeting ALL of them and the fact that he had already used Gahyeon against them once before stressed her greatly. Add the idea of her having them split up with the winners of the contest, and you had Bora feeling nauseous just from stress alone.</p>
<p>So, Bora was extremely relieved that Eunwoo and the others had decided to limit the access to the girls as much as possible.</p>
<p>“well, at least everyone should be safe with Eunwoo and his friends plus a couple of Dami’s bodyguard friends.”  Bora said as she ran her fingers through her hair to calm herself. <em>‘we have planned this well. Everything will go as planned, right?’</em> Bora asked herself as she paced circles in the bathroom. “well, I guess we will find out in the morning…’ bora thought to herself as she sighed.</p>
<p>“Minji? Have Dami release the announcement of the contest winners…” bora said as Minji complied. <em>‘well… here we go…’ </em>Bora thought as her phone pinged with the contest winners announcement.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Concert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Bora and Siyeon anxiously waited as Dami prepared to post the contest winners onto her fan café, and within minutes, the notice popped up, and her fan café went wild.</p>
<p>“They seem really excited!” Siyeon said as she smiled excitedly and glanced at Bora lovingly. Siyeon’s arms snaked their way around Bora’s waist as she snuggled closer, and the couple watched as the messages went wild.</p>
<p>“they really love you!” Bora said as she smiled and snuggled Siyeon closer. She was proud of Siyeon’s accomplishments with her band. It was difficult to get any fame when you don’t have a powerful company to back you, and Siyeon did this all on her own. Bora couldn’t be any prouder of her girlfriend.</p>
<p><em>‘I just wish she didn’t attract stalkers…’</em> Bora thought as she snuggled Siyeon closer and kissed her. <em>‘she deserves so much better than this…’</em> Bora thought as she worried about Siyeon’s safety tomorrow.</p>
<p>Bora couldn’t help but stress. The what-ifs were eating her alive. She still didn’t know if something happens to Siyeon. Would the day still restart? It scared Bora to think that she may lose Siyeon again. Memories of Siyeon cold and lifeless on their living room floor always seemed to haunt Bora at moments like this.</p>
<p><em>‘why do I feel like I'm sacrificing Siyeon just to catch this bastard?’</em> Bora thought to herself as she went to bite a nail. Siyeon grabbed her wrist to stop her and looked into Bora’s eyes with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“what's wrong? You haven’t done that since high school. You only bite your nails when you are extremely stressed.” Siyeon said as she looked at Bora with worry visible on the younger girl, and Bora sighed.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, I'm just stressing about the event failing. I know I suggested it, but I wonder if we rushed it, and I keep thinking what if this, what if that…” Bora said as Siyeon gently rubbed her shoulders.</p>
<p>“it's ok. I trust all of you, and this event will go smoothly. Nothing will go wrong, ok?” Siyeon said, but Bora only felt worse.</p>
<p><em>‘if only you knew how dangerous tomorrow really is… I feel like I'm using you right now…’</em> Bora thought as she turned around and hugged Siyeon tightly. Siyeon let out a surprised laugh and snuggled the tiny girl closer again as they sat there just enjoying being with each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Unknown-</p>
<p>Heavy panting could be heard throughout the dark room as the stalker panted after yet another freak-out. He wasn’t handling being unable to see the girls very well. The room looked trashed. The tables that held all of his cameras and listening devices organized neatly were now tipped over, and cameras were strewn across the floor in one of his many panic attacks.</p>
<p>“the voices won't stop!” he screamed as he panted harder in the corner. His pulse was racing as his breathing increased. Images raced through his head, and the whispers got louder as he tried to fight them weakly.</p>
<p>“Bora…” he cried weakly as he slowly tried to crawl to the closet. Trying to get something to ward off the voices. “how could you do this to me?” he pleaded weakly as he struggled and finally reached the door. It was left unlocked after the last time, and quickly, he crawled into the closet and touched everything as he felt himself slowly starting to relax.</p>
<p>Finally, he made his way to his favorite item. The same shirt as last time. The one that smelled strongly of Bora, but sadly, he has used it too much, and her scent was almost gone. It was no longer enough to stop the voices, and he let out a whine as he crawled deeper into the closet, looking for another item. It was the second-best thing, and he had just found what he was looking for.</p>
<p>There in Siyeon’s section was a shirt that Siyeon always practiced in with her band. It smelled like a wonderful mix of Siyeon and her perfume she would always use. Carefully he pulled it off of the hanger and brought it to him as he breathed in deeply.</p>
<p>Slowly the voices faded one at a time as his breathing slowed, and he started to relax. It wasn’t as effective as Bora’s, but it worked, and that’s why he loved the two girls so much. He felt normal just by being closer to them. It was what first drew him to them. He knew that they wouldn’t remember him. After all, the last time he had met them normally was years ago.</p>
<p>But how lucky was he to run into them while watching Handong<em>? ‘it was fate! They are meant for me! They just don’t know it yet!’</em> he thought to himself as he felt himself finally returning to normal. Quickly he returned the shirt to its place. He wouldn’t make the same mistake that he did with Bora’s, and soon, he was leaned against the wall of the closet with his eyes closed when his phone pinged a message.</p>
<p>Now that his head was clearer, he groaned at the chaos he created as he looked at everything strewn around. Carefully he walked around looking for his phone that he had thrown earlier. After a couple of minutes, he finally found the cell phone hidden in a corner.</p>
<p>The throw from earlier had shattered the screen, but luckily, he could still see what he needed to.</p>
<p>The stalker smiled as he read “Contest winners for the concert tomorrow!” in big, bold letters. After being cut off from the girls, the stalker was worried that the concert would be canceled, but instead, they were holding a special event for the fans.</p>
<p>He couldn’t help but smile as he looked down the list expecting to see his name on there. After all, they love him, so of course, his name would be there, right? But as he slowly read down the list, he got to the last name and frowned.</p>
<p>“it doesn’t matter… I will be there anyway. They can't stop me…” he said as his hand clenched his phone tightly.</p>
<p>“First, they cut off all contact from me… now they invite ten bastards to meet them while excluding me?!” he shouted as he threw his phone again. This time shattering it into pieces as he stomped over to his wall of photos and stared threateningly at the photos of Bora and Siyeon.</p>
<p>“I won't let this go. I won't let you do this to me…” he said as he felt his rage rising. “if I can't have you, no one will. Isn’t that right, baby?” he asked as he walked over to a glass case. There in it was a photo of Handong’s best friend. And beside it, her urn. Her REAL urn. Not the fake, he swapped out. Beside it was a lock of hair that he had taken after he punished her for not loving him.</p>
<p>“That was what you got. Not only did you love someone else, but Eunwoo?” he said as his tone went deadly. “of all people, you had to fall for my friend?” he said with fury as he glared at the urn.</p>
<p>“you regret it now, don’t you? But it’s too late… I have moved on. You can't have me anymore.” He said with a smirk as he stroked the cold glass.</p>
<p>“But you still miss me, right, Tzuyu?” he asked as he smiled while looking at the lock of long dark hair wistfully.</p>
<p>“I know you wanted to stay with me, so that was why I brought you with me here. So, of course you miss me!” he said with a smile as he looked away from the urn to the photo wall.</p>
<p>“you may not have loved me… but now many do…” he said as a smile crept onto his lips as he looked at the pictures of every girl.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow, I will make one of them mine, or punish them either way…” he said as his eyes gleamed in excitement.</p>
<p>Slowly he walked back over to the wall of photos and ran his fingers gently over the photos of Siyeon and Bora.</p>
<p>“see you two tomorrow, my loves...” he said softly as he leaned in and gently kissed the photos while sighing happily.</p>
<p>“time to prepare!” he shouted as he started running around cleaning his mess from earlier so that he could start with his plans.</p>
<p>-Minji-</p>
<p>“ok, so I know its last minute, but do you think you can get it ready by tomorrow night?” Minji asked her workers, and they all nodded enthusiastically. She was standing in the back of her shop while talking to her workers, and they were excited about the event. The possibility of overtime pay didn’t hurt either.</p>
<p>“we will have it ready by tonight. But what about servers?” one of her workers asked, but Minji shook her head.</p>
<p>“don’t worry, we have that covered. I couldn’t ask you to be baking late into the night and then ask you to serve too!” Minji said as she smiled at her employees.</p>
<p>“that would make me a horrible boss, wouldn’t it?” Minji joked as they laughed and shooed her out of the kitchen so that they could get started.</p>
<p>“did they agree?” the girls asked as they sat in the front of the store, and Minji nodded happily.</p>
<p>“I told you I have the world's best employees!” Minji said excitedly as they walked outside the bakery and into the van where the boys were waiting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How did it go?” Jinwoo asked, and Minji smiled brightly.</p>
<p>“We are good! It should be ready for tomorrow night!” Minji said excitedly, and the boys smiled.</p>
<p>“But you didn’t have to come with us, you know…” Yoohyeon said as she looked at the boys. They shook their heads with a serious expression.</p>
<p>“from what you told us, he is focusing on all of you. It means you ALL are in danger. Of course, we will go with you. After all, we are your bodyguards…” Eunwoo teased as he flexed, and the girls rolled their eyes.</p>
<p>“How did you ever win her over? Seriously?” Handong asked as Moonbin laughed loudly at Eunwoo’s expression.</p>
<p>“I hope you know I was very romantic!” Eunwoo said, acting offended as Handong rolled her eyes. Eunwoo couldn’t help but smile. After visiting their memorials, Handong had been extremely quiet, and he was happy to hear her saying anything, even if it was just her teasing him.</p>
<p>The boys drove everyone back to Bora’s apartment building, and soon, they went to say their goodbyes, but Gahyeon stopped them.</p>
<p>“wait, you all haven’t even met Siyeon and Bora yet. Should you meet the two main girls you, need to protect?” Gahyeon asked, and soon, everyone was walking up to the apartment while Gahyeon texted at lightning speed to Bora.</p>
<p>“now remember, Siyeon doesn’t know about this plan. All she thinks is you will help us with the event. Ok?” Minji reminded the boys, and they nodded in agreement as Minji knocked on Bora’s door.</p>
<p>Bora answered the door with a smile as she welcomed everyone into the apartment. Eunwoo and Moonbin instantly recognized Siyeon and waved happily, catching the singer off guard.</p>
<p>“what are you two doing here? I thought that we would be meeting the staff for the event?” Siyeon asked as she looked from Eunwoo and Moonbin to Bora, who nodded.</p>
<p>“When we went to the café, we were talking about the event, and how we were looking for help, and that was when Eunwoo and Moonbin offered to help!” Gahyeon said excitedly as she smiled and ran to her sister to give her a big hug. Dami followed with her arms wide as Bora caught her.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so…” Bora threatened jokingly as Dami pouted.</p>
<p>“she's my girlfriend. Go hug your own!” Bora teased as Dami smirked.</p>
<p>“but my girlfriend is hugging your girlfriend. So, I went to hug mine yours just happened to be there…” Dami teased as Bora rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“you know you always get flirty before concerts…” Bora teased as Dami chuckled and looked at Gahyeon tenderly.</p>
<p>“We can't fail them. This plan has to work, right?” Dami whispered worriedly to Bora, and Bora’s lips created a fine line as a wave of stress washed over her. She was unsure and didn’t want to lie to Dami and give her false confidence.</p>
<p>“honestly? I don’t know. All we can do is try as hard as we can, right?” Bora whispered back as they watched their girlfriends talk to the others.</p>
<p>“Hey, Minhyuk? Do those two look familiar to you?” Jinwoo asked as he looked at Bora and Siyeon. Something just made him feel like he has seen them before, and it was bugging him because he couldn’t place from where.</p>
<p>“maybe we went to school with them or something. They do look familiar, but I can't really remember from where so obviously they weren't close acquaintances, right?” Minhyuk said, and Jinwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why but I just feel it's important to know where we know them from…” Jinwoo mumbled under his breath as he shook his head in frustration.</p>
<p>After the sisters bantered back and forth after their hug, Gahyeon introduced Minhyuk and Jinwoo to the girls.</p>
<p>Just like the boys, the two looked at them like they knew each other before.</p>
<p>Bora had felt the same when she had encountered them as officers, but it bugged her that she still didn’t know from where. <em>‘oh well. It's obviously not that important…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she and Siyeon greeted the boys, and soon, they waved goodbye and headed home to prepare for tomorrow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was decided that Gahyeon and Dami would sleep over at Bora’s place again so that they would be ready for tomorrow. Minji and Yoohyeon, on the other hand, wanted to sleep in their own apartment and left soon after with Handong.</p>
<p>As Handong went to walk to her own apartment, Minji and Yoohyeon looked at each other worriedly until Minji spoke.</p>
<p>“Handong? Would you like to stay at our apartment tonight? You just got some big news, and maybe being with others would help…” Minji asked, and she suddenly worried that she overstepped her boundaries. Handong was always quiet, and they have only known each other for a short time, and Minji’s anxiety started to get to her as Handong went quiet.</p>
<p>“thank you. Maybe that’s a good idea…” Handong said softly, and Minji let out the breath she didn’t know that she was holding to let out a blindingly happy smile as the couple put their arms around Handong and led her into their apartment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next morning went by quickly. Siyeon left early with Bora to go practice with her band as Minji Yoohyeon and Handong went to Minji’s bakery to check on the progress.</p>
<p>Gahyeon and Dami had secretly followed Siyeon and Bora to make sure that the couple got to the practice rooms safely and then headed over to the venue to meet up with the boys to help set up for tonight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“hey! What took you two so long?” Moonbin asked as he waved the two over. Dami rolled her eyes and pointed her thumb at Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“she took forever getting ready, then we made sure that Siyeon and Bora made it to their practice rooms ok before heading over here,” Dami said, and Moonbin nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo’s like Gahyeon then. He takes forever getting ready. Every strand of hair has to be perfect before he leaves…” Moonbin teased as Eunwoo elbowed him.</p>
<p>“well, you can just stay in your own apartment then! Why do you always crash at mine?” Eunwoo asked as Moonbin shrugged with a smirk and walked off to talk to Jinwoo.</p>
<p>“I have a feeling that Moonbin is crushing on Eunwoo, you get that too?” Gahyeon asked softly, and Dami just nodded.</p>
<p>“big time…” Dami said as she smirked at the oblivious Eunwoo, who was looking around the venue looking for possible security risks.</p>
<p>“well, this is becoming interesting… don’t you think?” Gahyeon asked as she watched Moonbin constantly look up to locate Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“don’t even think about it, Gahyeon. He still isn’t over his fiancé, and I don’t think he would go for a guy…” Dami said as she watched “matchmaker” flash across her face and couldn’t help but shake her head at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“there no way to stop you, is there?” Dami asked, and Gahyeon shook her head. Dami just sighed as she shook her head and followed Gahyeon as she plotted on how to help the couple along.</p>
<p>All Dami heard from her girlfriend was her singing a “nope!” as she skipped over to the guys to help.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora and Siyeon-</p>
<p>Bora enjoyed watching Siyeon perform. She really missed watching practice. It was always amazing how her soft and cuddly girlfriend could suddenly look so fierce and, well… hot. However, seeing as Siyeon forgot to bring her contacts today, her glasses made her look extremely cute to Bora as she would try to give a sexy glare only to have Bora smile like an idiot.</p>
<p>It was really throwing Siyeon off of her game. So finally, she decided to take off her glasses. She couldn’t see shit, but at least Bora would stop giving her those cute grins. It was making her feel all soft and hurting her rocker image.</p>
<p>As Siyeon went to start singing one of her new songs, Bora recognized it and sang along softly, catching Siyeon off guard.</p>
<p>“Bora, how do you know this song? It's new. We decided to show it for the first time tonight.” Siyeon asked as Bora’s eyes snapped open.</p>
<p><em>‘thank god her glasses are off. I must look guilty as hell!’</em> Bora thought as she quickly thought up a lie.</p>
<p>“you have a tendency to sing or hum at home. Even in your sleep. You have been singing it in your sleep that song for the last couple of days. I must have just learned it.” Bora said as she shrugged.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a complete lie. Siyeon did have a tendency to sing in her sleep. So, the girl shrugged and started to continue singing when she paused. “can you sing that with me again?” Siyeon asked as Bora looked at her with a confused look.</p>
<p>“Please?” Siyeon asked with a puppylike expression, and Bora melted.</p>
<p>“fine. What are the lyrics?” Bora asked as she hopped up and walked over to look at the pages with Siyeon.</p>
<p>“here,” Siyeon said as she handed an extra copy to Bora, and soon, the song started. It was absolutely beautiful, and Siyeon couldn’t help but think that Bora’s voice with hers went perfect together.</p>
<p>“This sounds amazing!” one of her bandmates said as he looked at the two girls excitedly.</p>
<p><em>‘it's not what I sang with Siyeon on the last repeat. But I remember it because it sounded so beautiful that night.’</em> Bora thought to herself as she smiled at Siyeon, who seemed to glow with excitement.</p>
<p>“please preform it with me tonight?” Siyeon asked, and Bora knew it was coming. This time she didn’t struggle. She remembered how fun it was that night and how excited it made Siyeon and couldn’t bear to tell her no.</p>
<p>“ok,” Bora said as she nodded, and soon, Siyeon was squealing as she flung herself around the smaller girl, almost taking them both out as Bora struggled to catch herself from falling.</p>
<p>“I'm guessing you are excited…” Bora teased as Siyeon nodded. Hugging the smaller girl tightly, she looked into Bora’s eyes and couldn’t help herself.</p>
<p>Bora giggled in surprise as Siyeon’s lips met hers, and soon, the two heard Siyeon’s bandmates making gagging noises, and Siyeon couldn’t help but laugh too.</p>
<p>“well, let's get practicing then!” Siyeon said as she grabbed Bora’s hand and led her back to the mics.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“come on or were going to be late!” Handong sighed as Minji and Yoohyeon scurried behind her. Each girl was carrying trays of food for the event, and luckily both Dami and Gahyeon had prepped the area where they would be serving earlier, so all they had to do Is get the food to the tables, and they would be good.</p>
<p>“were coming! I swear! Who knew you were so fast! And bossy!” Yoohyeon teased as Handong laughed and gently set down her tray to go back for another one.</p>
<p>“I did, Thank you very much!” Handong said as she smiled and stuck her tongue out before scurrying away.</p>
<p>“you know. I'm really starting to like her. I'm glad we have become friends even if it was because of something so dark as this.” Minji said as Yoohyeon nodded at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon and Handong had started teasing each other this morning, and it seemed to only be getting more and more interesting as the day went by. It was nice to see someone being able to keep up with Yoohyeon’s energy, and Minji loved seeing Yoohyeon happy more than anything.</p>
<p>“well, let's go! We don’t want Handong to beat us!” Yoohyeon said as they started walking.</p>
<p>“too late! I'm one lap faster than you!” Handong teased as she set down the second tray and smiled as she stuck her tongue out at Yoohyeon before she went back for another.</p>
<p>“oh, it's ON!” Yoohyeon said as she ran after her. “longer legs!” Yoohyeon teased as she zipped past Handong, making the older girl laugh as she raced to catch up.</p>
<p>“I'm dating a dork…” Minji said as she shook her head at Yoohyeon and walked back to the delivery truck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ok, let's go over the plan…” Eunwoo said as he looked at everyone, but Bora, who was with Siyeon helping her get ready.</p>
<p>“Dami’s friends from when she was in bodyguard training came to help as security as well as the ones we have brought. So, our numbers are good for tonight.” Eunwoo said as he looked at the girls.</p>
<p>“I already talked to them and told them where they would be and what to look out for, so this will help us a bit. Just don’t expect our plan to be foolproof. Keep your eyes open for anyone suspicious.” Eunwoo said, and soon it was MJ’s time to talk.</p>
<p>“ok, so remember you are supposed to be serving the food for the event, and the others will signal you through the headsets we gave you, so you know when to come over with your tray and gather their used items,” MJ said as he looked at the girls for any kind of confusion but saw none.</p>
<p>“After you have the items, you walk in through that door there where there will be extra gloves and bags. Put the items inside the bag and bring it right to me. I will be in my van through that door.” MJ said and walked them to show where he would be.</p>
<p>“once you are done, take off your gloves and replace them with new ones before walking out of the door and back to the serving table,” MJ said, and everyone nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“nice uniforms, by the way. Where did you get them on such short notice?” Moonbin asked the girls as he looked at their uniforms.</p>
<p>“I run Minji’s clothing shop, and we supply the uniforms for her bakery too, so we had everything already. I just had to go get them once everyone gave me their sizes.” Yoohyeon said with a shrug, and Moonbin smiled.</p>
<p>“is that where you were able to get us all matching outfits too? How much did all of this cost by the way?” Moonbin asked as Yoohyeon shrugged and smiled.</p>
<p>“everyone. Remember that this is a dangerous situation, and if the person is here but not part of the winners on the list, he may act out feeling jealous. So, we may even have to protect the concert winners as well. So, remember that. Ok?” Jinwoo said, and everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“also…” Dami said as she waited for everyone's attention. “two of the ones for the contest just said that they couldn’t make it last minute. That means two less to watch, but still be careful. I just find it suspicious. Ok?” Dami asked, and everyone nodded as worry started to spread throughout the group.</p>
<p>“oh! Dami, you're going to be out front, right?” MJ asked, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“how about we use this guy’s cameras against him? Here is a staff badge that has a camera in it and a pair of glasses with one also. That way, we will have footage of the people coming and going.” MJ said as he handed over the two items and helped her attach the pin.</p>
<p>“Also, I will be watching them live until they start bringing me items to test. Here is one for Bora as well…” MJ said as he handed another pin that would go perfectly with the outfit she had chosen tonight. Dami couldn’t help but raise a brow.</p>
<p>“what? I like making things, and she hasn’t noticed it's missing yet…” MJ said as Dami fought back a snort.</p>
<p><em>‘Bora is NOT going to like knowing he messed with her pin…’</em> Dami thought as she took it and carefully put it inside her jacket pocket.</p>
<p>“now just tell her that one isn’t live. It runs off of a memory card. So, we can’t forget about it. That way, we can see the crowd during the concert and see if anything stands out.” MJ said, and Dami nodded as she turned away and jogged towards Siyeon’s dressing room.</p>
<p>Soon they were off to their positions and waiting for the concert to start. Dami was to wait at the entrance of the venue and sort out the concert winners. So, she would be occupied until the concert actually starts, then she would be meeting the girls in the back to help serve.</p>
<p>They were going to have a regular staff member gather the contest winners, but the girls figured that it should be Dami. She has gone to every concert that Siyeon has held so far. So, if there was someone that could recognize a regular, it would be Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Soon the first of the concertgoers showed up, and Dami was kept busy as she sorted through the crowd. Everything moved so fast, and once Dami would find one of the contest winners, she would radio who would take them.</p>
<p>What she didn’t know was that while she was radioing one of Eunwoo’s friends, the stalker slipped by and entered the venue without being noticed. It wasn’t hard when he actually had a ticket to show, and soon, he made his way up to the front of the stage like he always would.</p>
<p>After around thirty minutes, the place was packed, and the lights dimmed, signaling that the concert was about to start. The audience quieted as anticipation washed over the crowd.</p>
<p>Soon the lights came on, and Siyeon was standing on the stage looking intense in a black leather jacket and ripped jeans that showed off her legs perfectly and her trademark black boots. Making her look breathtaking in the lights of the stage.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Unknown-</p>
<p>He gasped as he locked eyes with Siyeon. There she was looking only at him. At this moment, nothing else mattered as he stared up at her and smiled. This was one of the only times he was able to go without his mask and jacket. Where she could actually see him. The real him and she had to recognize him. After all, he recognized her right away that day.</p>
<p>Soon the lights dimmed again as she started her first song. It fit perfectly, and her voice rang out beautifully. To him, they were alone. Everyone was bumping into him while cheering, but he heard nothing but her voice as he focused on her lips. Her eyes that looked both menacing and sexy at the same time.</p>
<p><em>‘I know you are waiting for me. I'm here now. I will rescue you from the others…’</em> he thought as one of his delusions flared<em>. ‘I know Bora is hurting you. Forcing you to stay with her. I have seen it all. I will save you tonight…’</em> he thought as he smirked and felt the cold piece of metal in his pocket click.</p>
<p>“tonight…” he whispered softly, where no one could hear him over the cheering. The crowd went wild as another song started, but he stayed still. He was too focused on Siyeon to realize that the concert was now almost over or to see Bora walking onto the stage until Siyeon turned and wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's waist and brought her in for a kiss causing the crowd to cheer and scream in excitement.</p>
<p>His hands clenched into fists as he looked at the couple on stage<em>. ‘what is SHE doing here! This day is for just Siyeon, and I damn it!’</em> he thought as he began to shake.</p>
<p>Soon his delusion switched again, and he looked at Bora longingly and hated it that Siyeon was holding her hand as they sang together.</p>
<p><em>‘how dare Siyeon touch her! After everything, she has done to Bora! I will save her from that maniac!’</em> he thought as he watched the song end.</p>
<p>Siyeon started talking as she looked into Bora’s eyes lovingly, and his blood boiled just at the sight. His hand slid into his pocket as he clenched the handle and slowly walked closer to the stage while dodging bodies.</p>
<p><em> ‘she DARES to touch Bora? MY BORA?’</em> he fumed as he got closer, getting into range. As he looked up, he met the eyes of one of the staff. The girl that was sorting the winners of the contest, but he quickly looked away. Too focused on the task at hand to notice that Dami recognized him.</p>
<p><em>‘a little closer. A little more… now!’</em> he thought as he shoved a person out of the way and pulled the gun out of his pocket. Screaming was heard from the stage, but Bora and Siyeon didn’t have enough time to react as he pulled the trigger twice in quick succession. All that was heard were screams as the crowd panicked and started to run.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora-</p>
<p>Bora heard Dami scream and looked over to the younger girl to see her shout “gun!” as she bolted towards the stage, but she wouldn’t make it in time.</p>
<p> Bora turned around in what felt like slow motion. As she faced Siyeon, something thudded into the singer's chest as a look of confusion washed over her as she was knocked back a step. A split second later, another bullet hit her side, and Bora screamed in horror as she watched Siyeon falling backward as blood trailed in the air from her wounds.</p>
<p>Bora caught Siyeon just before she hit the ground. “Siyeon? SIYEON?” Bora screamed as she clutched Siyeons body closer to her and tried to drag her to safety.</p>
<p>Siyeon stared up at Bora in confusion as she tried to talk, but as she opened her mouth, she only started coughing up blood. The first bullet had pierced her shoulder. But the second one pierced her lung just under her left breast.</p>
<p><em>‘Why is it always the lungs with him!’</em> Bora thought as tears flowed down her face as she looked at the blood bubbling out of the wound. Bora clutched Siyeon to her as she crawled backward while dragging Siyeon farther from the front of the stage and finally stopped once they were behind the curtain.</p>
<p>Tears streamed out of the corners Siyeon’s eyes as she looked up into Bora’s, and weakly lifted her hand in an attempt to wipe away Bora’s tears as blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.</p>
<p>Bora grabbed Siyeon’s hand gently and held it to the side of her face and gently kissed it as Siyeon smiled weakly.</p>
<p>“hold pressure on the wounds!” someone shouted as he ran by, and quickly, Bora shifted to Siyeon’s left side as she held pressure on the wounds.</p>
<p>Siyeon cried out in pain at the pressure, and Bora could feel her heart clenching at seeing Siyeon in so much pain.</p>
<p>“Please stay with me, baby. Please?” Bora pleaded as Siyeon struggled to keep her eyes open. All Siyeon could do was nod weakly as she fought to stay awake for Bora.</p>
<p>“someone, ANYONE! PLEASE HELP HER!” Bora screamed as she watched the blood bubbling around her hand. Every time Siyeon would cough, more blood would bubble out, and Bora couldn’t help but panic as she watched the color slowly fading from Siyeon’s face.</p>
<p>“Please stay with me! Siyeon! you know I love you, right?” Bora asked weakly as she felt Siyeon fading. Siyeon nodded weakly as more tears streamed down her face.</p>
<p><em>‘I love you too, Bora. With all my heart…’</em> Siyeon thought as she looked at Bora and took her last breath.</p>
<p>Bora screamed while clutching Siyeon to her as soon as she heard the gurgling from siyeon’s lungs finally stop when the EMS finally arrived.</p>
<p> But by the time EMS got there, Siyeon was already gone. Bora refused to let go of Siyeon as she cradled her to her body. <em>‘I have lost her once before. I can't lose her again! I just can't,’</em> Bora thought as she cried and clutched Siyeon’s now cooling body to her.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until the threat of being sedated that Bora finally released Siyeon<em>. ‘someone has to have seen this bastard… I will find him… he won't get away with taking Siyeon from me TWICE!’</em> Bora raged as she stomped off the stage towards her group.</p>
<p>Minji was sobbing as Yoohyeon held her, and when they got a glimpse of Bora, Minji choked in both grief and shock.</p>
<p>Bora was covered from head to toe in Siyeon’s blood. It was on her face and soaked her shirt and streaked down her jeans as well. She looked like a serial killer from a horror movie as she walked forward, leaving bloody footprints behind while giving the most menacing stare the girls have ever seen from her.</p>
<p>“where is Dami?” Bora asked coldly as she looked around for the younger girl. Her voice seemed hollow with grief and anger as she looked for the younger girl.</p>
<p>“she chased after that maniac. She Eunwoo and Moonbin almost caught him. But he escaped after shooting Dami…” Minji said, and Bora’s head snapped up in shock.</p>
<p>“he what?” Bora asked in shock, and the girls nodded. “is she alright?” Bora asked worriedly, and Yoohyeon nodded.</p>
<p>“He shot her twice while trying to escape. One shot grazed her scalp by her left eye. It was bleeding a lot, but it's not serious. The other one took out her right leg. The boys were going to keep running after him, but Eunwoo noticed that the wound in her leg was too close to an artery. They had to stop to save her. I'm sorry, Bora…” Yoohyeon said, and Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“why apologize for them saving Dami?” Bora asked, and Yoohyeon choked back a sob.</p>
<p>“because of that, Siyeon’s killer got away…” Yoohyeon said, and Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“Dami may have seen his face. She called out to me right before he shot Siyeon. if they let Dami die, we may lose a clue…” Bora said as she blinked back tears. Images of Siyeon in her arms kept popping into her mind and haunting her.</p>
<p>“I just pray that the journal will trigger a repeat…” Bora choked before her knees gave out. The couple tried to catch her and clean the blood off of Bora’s face. Soon though, they heard shouting from what sounded like Dami.</p>
<p>“BORA? BORA!” Dami screamed as she limped forward with both Eunwoo and Moonbin beside her trying to drag her back to the ambulance.</p>
<p>“JUST ONE FUCKING MOMENT! I ONLY NEED ONE MOMENT TO TALK WITH BORA!” Dami screamed, and soon, she locked eyes with the shorter girl as she shook off the guys’ arms and limped over to Bora.</p>
<p>“I need to speak with you… alone,” Dami said coldly. Bora could only nod as she led the injured girl further away from the group.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as they were out of range, Dami gripped Bora’s arm tightly.</p>
<p>“don’t even think about it!” Dami whispered harshly, which startled Bora.</p>
<p>“think about what?” Bora asked in shock as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“I know you plan to try to kill him… but you can't do it without me!” Dami whispered as Bora frowned.</p>
<p>It was true. As soon as she saw that bullet pierce Siyeon, she had made up her mind. She didn’t know where to start, but she would find him.</p>
<p>“don’t!” Dami said as she shook Bora’s arm slightly harsher than intended causing Bora to wince.</p>
<p>“I know what he looks like. I know his face…” Dami said as Bora looked at Dami in shock. Bora carefully scanned the younger girl's face looking for even a hint of a lie. There was nothing. She was telling the truth.</p>
<p>“I won't tell you anything until tomorrow. When you bring back my memories. I won't allow you to act on your own. Do you understand me?” Dami asked, and Bora nodded as a coldness washed over her. They found him. They now know who he is somewhat. It won’t be long…</p>
<p>“don’t even THINK about doing anything without me too…” Minji said as she raised a brow with her arms crossed. “you’re not leaving me out of this…” Minji said with a look of determination.</p>
<p>“tomorrow, he's OURS…” Minji said as Bora and Dami nodded grimly.</p>
<p>“Now, let's get you back to the ambulance. We don’t want you having a stroke and forget everything now, do we?” Minji asked as the two helped the limping girl back to the ambulance to the relief of Moonbin and Eunwoo.</p>
<p>Once Dami was inside the ambulance, Bora looked back to the stage once more. “we will see you tomorrow, you bastard…” Bora whispered as Minji led her to their vehicles.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. New Information</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Everything was going smoothly so far. Just like planned, Dami would radio each of the boys when their assigned target would be arrived and verified, but both Dami and Eunwoo couldn’t help but feel like something was going to go wrong.</p>
<p>After Dami had checked everyone in and got them to their assigned person, Dami went to meet up with everyone backstage.</p>
<p>“there you are!” Minji said with a smile as she looked at Dami, who was still wearing her staff uniform. Gahyeon and the others were already in their serving uniforms, and Dami couldn’t help but think that she looked adorable. She wasn’t thrilled with wearing one herself, but she wouldn’t let the others do all the work alone.</p>
<p>“where’s my uniform again?” Dami asked as she started taking off the well-fitted staff jacket that she was wearing, but the girls shook their heads.</p>
<p>“what?” Dami asked as she froze in place.</p>
<p>“a couple of my staff came today even though I said they didn’t have to. That means you can help Eunwoo with keeping tabs on the crowd if you want instead of being stuck serving with us. Of course, it's your choice…” Minji said and giggled with the others as Dami quickly put her staff jacked back on and scurried off to find Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“admit it. That was cute!” Gahyeon said as she smiled. She loved teasing Dami, and the others couldn’t deny that Dami was adorable when she didn’t have her business face on and let her soft side show.</p>
<p>“We admit to nothing!” Yoohyeon teased as she grinned widely at Gahyeon’s pout.</p>
<p>“ok, maybe we admit to a little…” Handong said, and Gahyeon couldn’t hold back her giggle as she smiled widely.</p>
<p>“You know, I like us all hanging out like this. I hope that when this is all over, we can continue to be close like this.” Gahyeon said with a sweet shy smile, and Minji just couldn’t help it. She hugged Gahyeon tightly.</p>
<p>“of course we will! You are stuck with us now. You know that, right?” Minji teased as Gahyeon smiled and hugged her back tightly as she nodded happily.</p>
<p><em>“The concert will start in fifteen minutes, Siyeon and Bora are about to come out to greet the contest winners before the concert starts. That means everyone needs to get ready. We are starting…”</em> Minhyuk said over the radio, and quickly, everyone got into position, and Minji made sure that everything was perfect on the table as she smiled and nodded to herself.</p>
<p>“we're ready!” Minji whispered as she started seeing the boys walking in with their targets.</p>
<p>Everything was going smoothly. When someone was almost done with their food or drink, one of the boys would signal, and one of the girls would come over to gather it and immediately run it to MJ.</p>
<p>“hey, can you sneak me some food too? I forgot to eat earlier because I was excited to test my new equipment…” MJ asked as he pouted.</p>
<p>Handong giggled as she nodded, and soon, MJ was snacking on cakes and cookies as he tested the fingerprints he gathered against his database. Nothing so far.</p>
<p>However, two of the prints matched other stalkers of unsolved cases. MJ made a note of it so that he could pass it on. Because of the contest, they verified their name with their id, so he technically caught two stalkers, just not the one that matters right now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Any luck?” Eunwoo asked over the radio. Eunwoo just couldn’t shake the feeling that the one who they were looking for wasn’t here. If anything, he would be in the crowd, and it made Eunwoo’s nerves on edge.</p>
<p><em>“nothing for this case, but we have solved two different stalker cases. No one was as dangerous as this guy, though. Just a couple of panty stealers…”</em> MJ radioed back, and Eunwoo frowned.</p>
<p>“he's not here then…” Eunwoo said under his breath with a frown.</p>
<p><em>‘maybe I should go check up on Dami…’</em> Eunwoo thought as he signaled one of the two that didn’t have someone to watch to take over and went in search of Dami.</p>
<p>“Dami!” Eunwoo shouted, causing the girl to jump as she turned around. Once she recognized who called her, she nodded and smiled.</p>
<p>“How is it going? Anything?” Dami asked with a hopeful look, but Eunwoo just shook his head with a frown.</p>
<p>“he wouldn’t miss this concert. Especially after being kept from them for several days. That means that he is in the audience or trying to sneak backstage. We need to keep our eyes open…” Eunwoo said as he looked at the waiting crowd through Dami’s special viewpoint.</p>
<p>As Eunwoo scanned the crowd, he froze and quickly looked back. But the person he thought he saw was gone. Eunwoo shook his head as he frowned.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Dami asked as she looked at Eunwoo with a worried expression. Eunwoo just shook his head as he smiled.</p>
<p>“I just thought I saw someone I knew in the audience. But when I looked back, he wasn’t there. My eyes must be playing tricks with me.” Eunwoo said with a smile, but he was scanning the crowd more thoroughly now.</p>
<p>“bad person or a good person?” Dami asked as she looked at Eunwoo with a curious expression.</p>
<p>“a friend of mine from high school. We lost contact after my fiancé died…” Eunwoo said, and Dami nodded and dropped the subject as she scanned the crowd too.</p>
<p>“well, the concert Is about to start, so we will have to bring the contest winners to their special VIP seating. Keep an eye out for me, please?” Eunwoo asked, and Dami nodded in response as she looked at everyone intently.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>“who did you think you saw?”</em> MJ asked over the radio as Eunwoo rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“your so nosey, you know that? Eunwoo asked with a smile, and he could hear MJ laughing on the other side.</p>
<p><em>“maybe, but who?”</em> MJ asked as Eunwoo sighed.</p>
<p>“Sanha. We haven’t talked after the fight we had when I introduced my fiancé to him…” Eunwoo said with a heavy sigh.</p>
<p><em>“it's his own fault. He just met her and said all those bad things about her to you. Who would ever believe that she was after you for money or a way into Korea? She made more money than you!”</em> MJ said, trying to comfort Eunwoo, but the hollow feeling in Eunwoo’s chest just felt bigger.</p>
<p>Eunwoo lost his best friend that day, and shortly after, he lost his fiancé as well. Two holes that he just couldn’t fill. He also couldn’t apologize to Sanha first. It wasn’t his place to apologize.</p>
<p>Sanha knew that he was in the wrong, and Eunwoo was sure that he would at least show up for the funeral, and he was right. But Sanha’s last words to him still made his heart burn with rage.</p>
<p>As Sanha walked over to place a flower, he turned to Eunwoo who was grief-stricken and in a daze and looked Eunwoo dead in the eyes and whispered clearly “I told you, didn’t I?” as he walked away without looking back and both Minhyuk and Jinwoo had to hold the grief-stricken Eunwoo back from beating Sanha’s ass.</p>
<p><em>“I heard about the funeral. That was uncalled for, and in my opinion, if he behaved like that, you shouldn’t even feel bad for him. That was an ass thing to say, and he knows it!”</em> MJ said as he huffed and leaned back in his chair.</p>
<p><em>“Besides, how is ‘she's a gold digger after your money’ equal to an ‘I told you so’ after she has passed away? That doesn’t even make sense.”</em> MJ said, annoyed at the memory.</p>
<p>“his last words to me the night of the argument was that I would cry over her…” Eunwoo said as MJ went quiet. Cold chills traveled up his arms as he tried to shake the creepy feeling off.</p>
<p><em>“that was… creepy…”</em> MJ said as Eunwoo sighed.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you're telling me. Still, how could he say that to me at her funeral?” Eunwoo asked as he made his way to the others to help escort the winners to their place.</p>
<p><em>“well, just keep yourself safe ok?”</em> MJ said as Eunwoo reached the others, and Eunwoo agreed and quickly started helping the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The concert was amazing. Eunwoo knew that Siyeon was an amazing singer, but he had never heard her before. He was amazed, and what shocked him more was how beautifully her voice matched with Bora’s near the end of the concert. It was difficult to tear his eyes off of the two, but he did as he scanned the crowd as the song was nearing the end.</p>
<p>There in the crowd was a familiar face again. Eunwoo’s head snapped back to look where he had seen it last, but again, there was nothing.</p>
<p>During this time, the stalker was creeping along, getting closer to the stage for the perfect shot.</p>
<p><em>“Eunwoo! Eunwoo! You said you saw Sanha in the crowd, right?” </em>MJ shouted over the radio, almost deafening Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“yes, why?” Eunwoo asked as he scanned the crowd.</p>
<p><em>“Remember when he was exempt from the military, and he said it was because of his eyesight or something?”</em> MJ asked, and Eunwoo was curious where this was leading.</p>
<p>“yes, why?” Eunwoo asked slowly, something was not feeling right.</p>
<p><em>“I just got curious and looked up his records. He was exempt for mental illness, Eunwoo… he hears voices…it also says he may suffer from delusions…”</em> MJ said as Eunwoo froze.</p>
<p>“mental illness? But we have known him for almost forever. We would have noticed that, right?” Eunwoo asked as he scanned the crowd again.</p>
<p><em>“you remember how many times he would zone out and we would have to shout at him or shake him to bring him back to us? What if that was part of it? If he suffers from delusions, he may have been telling you what he thought was the truth…”</em> MJ said as Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“It can't be him. he wouldn’t do something like that to me and someone I cared about…” Eunwoo said as he continued to scan the crowd and froze.</p>
<p>There in the crowd was Sanha, his features unmistakable, and Eunwoo was in shock as he watched Sanha sneaking closer to the stage.</p>
<p>“MJ…” Eunwoo whispered in shock as he watched Sanha getting closer to the stage with a wild look on his face. He didn’t care if he knocked people down as he struggled to get closer.</p>
<p><em>“what?” </em>MJ asked as he sat up and switched to Eunwoo’s camera.</p>
<p>“MJ!” Eunwoo shouted in shock as he watched Sanha approaching Siyeon and Bora.</p>
<p><em>“is that Sanha for real?”</em> MJ said as he recognized their friend.</p>
<p><em>“warning! A possibly dangerous person approaching the stage! Tall with light hair in a long cream jacket!”</em> MJ radioed to everyone as Eunwoo watched frozen in shock as Sanha walked closer to the two.</p>
<p><em>‘no, it can’t be… he couldn’t be the one. He was my best friend…’</em> Eunwoo thought, feeling numbness wash over him. <em>‘it's impossible…’</em> Eunwoo thought weakly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Dami-</p>
<p>Dami was walking around and watching the crowd during one of the last songs when she spotted a familiar face. It was one of the regular fans that she had seen at events often. He always looked so nice as he smiled, so it was a shock to see him looking so wild. He was slowly climbing closer to the stage as he knocked people out of the way, and Dami could feel her blood running cold once she compared his body type to the killers. It was a match.</p>
<p>Quickly the guy glanced up and met Dami’s eyes for a second or two before he looked back at Siyeon and Bora. His stare seemed blank, and alarms were ringing in Dami’s head as she noticed how he held his hand inside his right jacket pocket. The position only meant one thing.</p>
<p>Dami grabbed her radio to call when MJ’s warning call went over, and Dami started running towards Siyeon and Bora without taking her eyes off of the armed man.</p>
<p><em>‘almost there, please!’</em> Dami thought as her feet pounded against the stage bolting for the couple. ‘please!’ Dami thought as her heart pounded against her chest.</p>
<p>Soon the hand came out of his jacket, showing a pistol. Dami watched in slow motion as the gun came out of his pocket and aimed not at Bora but at Siyeon.</p>
<p>“gun!” Dami screamed as she tried to run harder, but it was too late.</p>
<p>Pop! Pop! Was heard, and Dami screamed as she watched Siyeon stumble back before falling backward. Bora just barely caught her and was trying to drag the bleeding singer to somewhere safer as the crowd started to panic.</p>
<p>Screams filled the venue as people tried to flee the gunman. The sheer panic causing the crowd to move dangerously as they tried to escape and even trampling people in the process.</p>
<p>Dami looked at the gunman, and soon his eyes locked with hers. His with shock at the situation and hers with rage. Quickly he turned to bolt, but Dami wouldn’t let him escape that easily as she bolted after him launching off of the stage to land safely and charged after the stalker without stopping.</p>
<p>Soon she heard footsteps behind her, but she could only spare a quick glance, she didn’t want to lose him, and when she did, she saw Eunwoo and Moonbin using their height and long legs to catch up to the smaller girl as they chased him.</p>
<p>“don’t let Sanha escape!” Moonbin shouted, and Dami was shocked to hear a name associated with the killer. She also was shocked to hear so much rage come from the happy and laidback Moonbin.</p>
<p>“watch out!” Eunbin screamed as Sanha’s arm snapped backward, and he fired three shots wildly before reloading.</p>
<p>“ah! Fuck!” Dami screamed as a bullet grazed her scalp. It stung like crazy and made her eyes water, but she refused to stop.</p>
<p>‘<em>you're not getting away, not with everything you have done!’</em> Dami thought as she charged forward and put in a last burst of speed, and soon she was gaining on him.</p>
<p>Moonbin and Eunwoo struggled to keep up with the smaller girl, but that was stopped quickly when Sanha spun around quickly and shot at the three.</p>
<p>He missed Eunwoo and Moonbin, but he struck his mark on Dami. The bullet struck into the thigh of her right leg, yanking her leg out from under her, but her momentum kept her going forward as she tumbled and rolled against the rough concrete until she came to a stop.</p>
<p>Dami groaned and clutched her right leg as blood flowed out. “Agh!” Dami shouted in pain as she tried to hold pressure and stop the bleeding with her scraped up hands. The pain was excruciating, but Dami struggled to stand. She refused to give up and quickly grabbed her tee and ripped the bottom into a strip that she used to bind the wound.</p>
<p>As she went to start running, the first impact of her right leg into the ground shot such extreme pain throughout her body that she was instantly nauseous.</p>
<p>She was lying there, clutching her leg as the boys passed her to chase after the stalker.</p>
<p>“Moonbin! I think I have to turn around! That bullet struck close to where the femoral artery is. She may bleed out!” Eunwoo said, and Moonbin nodded as Eunwoo turned around and ran back to Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“don’t stop to help me! Get that bastard!” Dami shouted as Eunwoo came over to Dami and shook his head.</p>
<p>“it doesn’t matter if we catch him or not because we know who he is now…” Eunwoo said with a grim expression as he looked at Dami’s leg.</p>
<p>“shit… I'm going to have to call Moonbin back. This is worse than I thought…” Eunwoo said softly as he unwound her makeshift bandage and grabbed her jeans to rip it open to get a better view of the wound.</p>
<p>Dami gently grabbed Eunwoo’s wrist automatically as the waves of pain and nausea washed over her as he jarred her leg while ripping her jeans. Her thin fingers held Eunwoo’s wrist gently, and she could feel her consciousness fading just from pain alone.</p>
<p>“it's ok. You don’t have to struggle to stay awake. We have you.” Eunwoo said as she looked up to see a very exhausted looking Moonbin walking up. There was blood coming from the corner of his mouth, and several slashes from the stalkers now trademark knife covered various parts of Moonbin’s body.</p>
<p>Moonbin shrugged off her look of worry and started helping Eunwoo treat Dami, and soon Dami lost consciousness when they picked her up to carry her back to the venue.</p>
<p>She started to regain consciousness as she laid on a stretcher in an ambulance. Her vision slowly came back as she stared up at the bright lights of the ambulance ceiling. Quickly she sat up to a massive headache. Thanks to the bullet that grazed her temple and the bright lighting.</p>
<p>“ugh…” Dami groaned, and soon, Eunwoo peeked his head into the ambulance, Followed by Moonbin.</p>
<p>“you alright, Dami?” Eunwoo asked with a worried expression, and Dami could only nod.</p>
<p>“just nauseous…” she said as she gulped back vile fluids and took slow breaths to try to combat her stomach.</p>
<p>“please tell me how you know him?” Dami asked. She didn’t miss how Moonbin looked worriedly at Eunwoo before speaking.</p>
<p>“his name is Sanha. Yoon San Ha. We all grew up being close friends since around middle school or high school. We lost contact with him after he had an argument with Eunwoo about his fiancé before she passed. I'm sorry. We never thought that he could be a suspect… how could he do this? To both Eunwoo and you girls…” Moonbin shook his head in disbelief and shame.</p>
<p>“you couldn’t know. Don’t blame yourself…” Dami said as she frowned<em>. ‘all of this time, it was someone so close to Eunwoo and the others…’ </em>she thought with a frown.</p>
<p>“wait, what About Siyeon?” Dami asked, but she could tell by their dark expressions that she didn’t make it.</p>
<p>“her body is in the ambulance beside you... She didn’t make it. Bora isn’t handling it well. They almost had to sedate her just to get Siyeon’s body…” Eunwoo said. He didn’t seem to be handling it well either.</p>
<p>“if I hadn’t hesitated when I saw him in the crowd… if I had run to take care of Siyeon instead of chasing after him, maybe she would be alive…” Eunwoo said, and Dami could feel the anguish behind his words as he tortured himself with the what-ifs.</p>
<p>“yes, but both Moonbin and I could have ended up dying if you stayed. You don’t know for sure, so don’t torture yourself with the what-ifs, please?” Dami said softly, but Eunwoo couldn’t look her in the eyes. He felt like he failed everyone and was having a hard time facing the girls.</p>
<p>“wait, where is Bora?” Dami asked as she realized where Bora’s mind was probably going right now. The boys looked at each other with worried expressions.</p>
<p>“We don’t know, we promised to stay with you. Last time we saw her, she was on the stage staring at the place Siyeon died…” Moonbin said, and soon, Dami was struggling to get up.</p>
<p><em>‘if she falls asleep, the day may restart, and we have things we need to save in the journal first! Plus, I don’t want her to try to take this Sanha guy out on her own!’</em> Dami thought as she struggled and finally stood up as the boys protested.</p>
<p>“I just need to talk to her real quick…” Dami said as she struggled to walk. Luckily the paramedics had given her some pain medicine or walking would be completely out of the question right now.</p>
<p>Eunwoo and Moonbin tried to stop her, but Dami was surprisingly strong for her slender frame and was basically dragging the two along.</p>
<p>“BORA? BORA!” Dami screamed as she took Eunwoo and Moonbin for a drag.</p>
<p>“JUST ONE FUCKING MOMENT! I ONLY NEED ONE MOMENT TO TALK WITH BORA!” Dami screamed, and soon, she locked eyes with the shorter girl as she shook off the guys’ arms and limped over to Bora.</p>
<p>“I need to speak with you… alone,” Dami said coldly as she looked at the blood covering Bora. She knew it had to be Siyeon’s. Bora could only nod as she led the injured girl further away from the group.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as they were out of range, Dami gripped Bora’s arm tightly.</p>
<p>“don’t even think about it!” Dami whispered harshly, which startled Bora.</p>
<p>“think about what?” Bora asked in shock as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“I know you plan to try to kill him… but you can't do it without me!” Dami whispered as Bora frowned.</p>
<p>Dami could see Bora trying to think up a lie and frowned.</p>
<p>“don’t!” Dami said as she shook Bora’s arm slightly harsher than intended causing Bora to wince. The pain medicine made Dami unable to control her strength.</p>
<p>“I know what he looks like. I know his face…” Dami said as Bora looked at Dami in shock. Bora carefully scanned the younger girl's face looking for even a hint of a lie. There was nothing. She was telling the truth.</p>
<p>“I won't tell you anything until tomorrow. When you bring back my memories. I won't allow you to act on your own. Do you understand me?” Dami asked, and Bora nodded as a coldness washed over her. They found him. They now know who he is somewhat. It won’t be long…</p>
<p>“don’t even THINK about doing anything without me too…” Minji said as she raised a brow with her arms crossed. “you’re not leaving me out of this…” Minji said with a look of determination.</p>
<p>“tomorrow, he's OURS…” Minji said as Bora and Dami nodded grimly.</p>
<p>“Now, let's get you back to the ambulance. We don’t want you having a stroke and forget everything now, do we?” Minji asked as the two helped the limping girl back to the ambulance to the relief of Moonbin and Eunwoo.</p>
<p>As Minji and Bora held Dami’s hand one last time before the ambulance closed its doors, Dami slipped something into the girl's hands. But not before she pointed at her cell phone. Minji and Bora nodded as they pulled out their phones and looked at the micro SD card in Minji’s hand.</p>
<p>Once Dami was inside the ambulance, Bora looked back to the stage once more. “we will see you tomorrow, you bastard…” Bora whispered as Minji led her to their vehicles when Minji’s phone went off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">DAMI</span>
</p>
<p>Minji. We need that card put into the journal.</p>
<p>The page from the cameras that the first day we scanned for them is still there.</p>
<p>If this memory card stays as well, we may have footage of the stalker.</p>
<p>Don’t tell Bora what's on it and try to sneak it in, or she will leave us out of it.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">MINJI</span>
</p>
<p>Agreed. I will keep it safe until then and stick with Bora.</p>
<p>Anything else we need to do?</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">DAMI</span>
</p>
<p>No, I will message in the group chat the rest of it.</p>
<p>I will also give you an opportunity for you to put it in the journal</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shortly after, the group chat pinged with a message from Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">DAMI</span>
</p>
<p>Please get the results from MJ. He's not on there, but MJ had told Eunwoo that they did match two other stalker cases.</p>
<p>Also, don’t forget that the pin on your jacket was a camera, Bora. Take the memory card from it and put it in the journal</p>
<p>Hopefully, it will come with us to the next repeat like the camera paper and bookmark.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">BORA</span>
</p>
<p>Anything else?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">DAMI</span>
</p>
<p>Just ask MJ for copies of everything he gathered, including all of the surveillance cameras, and we can go over them on the next repeat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">BORA</span>
</p>
<p>You mean IF there is another repeat…</p>
<p>Siyeon’s gone…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">MINJI</span>
</p>
<p>Bora, after everything you have seen so far, you seriously think that day won't repeat?</p>
<p>Trust in the journal</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">BORA</span>
</p>
<p>But we don’t even know anything about the journal!</p>
<p>I feel so fucking helpless…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">MINJI</span>
</p>
<p>Maybe this is a sign that we need to look into the journal too.</p>
<p>We can check where you bought it and see if they know anything</p>
<p>Ok?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">BORA</span>
</p>
<p>Fine…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">DAMI</span>
</p>
<p>Then it's settled.</p>
<p>I'm starting to feel sleepy…</p>
<p>Remember Bora…</p>
<p>I won't tell you who it is and neither will anyone else including MJ and the boys</p>
<p>You have to make Minji, and I remember to know…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">BORA</span>
</p>
<p>I know…</p>
<p>fine…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>MJ had moved his van out of the parking lot and away from the regular officers that responded to the shooting and was waiting for the girls to arrive.</p>
<p>Minji had messaged him, asking for the footage and evidence, and he quickly complied.</p>
<p>He had also gotten a text message from Dami not to let Sanha’s name slip, or Bora may try to do something stupid, and he agreed to keep his mouth shut.</p>
<p>The girls quickly grabbed the info and drove to Bora’s apartment to quickly put the evidence into the journal, and like Dami had hoped, Minji snuck the other SD card into the journal before forcing Bora to take a shower.</p>
<p>The blood that was covering Bora was now dry and flaking everywhere. Leaving a trail of dried blood wherever she would go.</p>
<p>Bora finally complied and took an extra long shower as she cried out her emotions until the water turned cold, signaling her that it was finally time to get out.</p>
<p>When she walked out of her bathroom, she noticed Minji was still in her apartment and waiting for her to come out.</p>
<p>“don’t you want to be with Yoohyeon right now?” Bora asked, but shortly after, Yoohyeon popped her head into the room. “We are not letting you be alone tonight. We ordered food, and it just arrived.” Yoohyeon said hesitantly.</p>
<p>“I know you are probably not hungry, but please try to eat for us, ok?” Yoohyeon pleaded. Bora could only sigh and nod as she shuffled into the living room where the food was set up.</p>
<p>After around an hour, the food was gone, and Minji was holding Bora, who was silently crying herself to sleep as she clung to her best friend.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon looked at the two worriedly as Bora’s breathing finally slowed, showing that she was finally drifting off to sleep…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-morning-</p>
<p>Bora woke up and quickly turned to face an empty bed and started to panic when she looked at her hand. The journal was there. Bora froze in confusion until she grabbed her phone and looked at the time.</p>
<p>She had overslept. Her theory was confirmed when she heard the sink running, and the sound of Siyeon brushing her teeth and let out a sigh of relief as she clutched the journal to her chest in thanks.</p>
<p>Just like promised, Bora quickly texted Dami, and soon, Dami remembered everything and told Bora that she was on her way. Alone. Dami wouldn’t be bringing Gahyeon into this.</p>
<p>Soon Siyeon walked out of the bathroom to only be ambushed by a very affectionate Bora that clung to the taller girl and kissed her deeply.</p>
<p>“well. That was a great way to say good morning…” Siyeon said breathlessly as she clung to Bora, who smiled blindingly at her and kissed her again.</p>
<p>“Stop it!” your going to make me want to stay home!” Siyeon teased as she pouted, causing Bora to giggle.</p>
<p>After a couple more kisses that almost led to the bedroom, Bora finally let Siyeon go to Eunwoo’s café and waited for Dami.</p>
<p>She had also messaged Minji that there was an issue and asked her to come over alone. So soon, she was waiting with Minji for Dami to arrive.</p>
<p>“I'm surprised Yoohyeon didn’t try to come over too,” Bora said as Minji laughed.</p>
<p>“she’s sulking right now. She doesn’t think it's fair that she has to go into work when I don’t. she thinks I don’t know that all she does is play mobile games on her phone all day…” Minji joked as she rolled her eyes, causing Bora to laugh.</p>
<p>Soon they were interrupted by a knock at the door as Dami let herself in.</p>
<p>“Dami? What are you doing here?” Minji asked in confusion, and Dami raised a brow at Bora.</p>
<p>“what? I waited to tell her until you were here! Otherwise, she would bombard me with questions that I don’t know the answer to!” Bora said as she pouted as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>Bora quickly reminded Minji of the day before, and soon, the girl was caught up and looking very tense.</p>
<p>“So, who is this bastard?” Minji hissed, and Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“you won't believe this… are you ready?”  Dami asked, and the other two nodded as they leaned closer.</p>
<p>“he is Eunwoo’s best friend from middle school… his own best friend killed his fiancé… and her unborn child…” Dami said as she shook her head in disbelief. It was still hard for her to understand his reasoning for that.</p>
<p>“wait, how could you do that to your best friend?” Bora asked as she looked over at Minji in shock.</p>
<p>“I don’t know… it seems like he has some mental issues.” Dami said as she reached for the journal and started sorting the papers out that they left in yesterday. Luckily everything was intact, including the memory cards.</p>
<p>Soon Dami found a flash drive that was tucked in between the pages and popped it into her laptop. They listened to the laptop powering up and leaned forward, waiting for the computer to pop up.</p>
<p>“um… here!” Dami said as she pulled up the info once she logged in, and in one of the folders, the girls noticed it was passworded. Dami quickly typed in the password that MJ had told her, and soon all the info of Sanha that the boys had so far popped up.</p>
<p>“This is him?” Bora asked in shock as she leaned in for a better look at the picture.</p>
<p>“yes, this is him. I watched him pull out the gun and shoot Siyeon myself.” Dami said as she nodded as Bora leaned back in shock.</p>
<p>“I know him…” Bora whispered in shock. Dami and Minji quickly looked at Bora, shocked.</p>
<p>“you what?” Minji asked as she turned to give Bora her complete attention.</p>
<p>“I know him. He would come to my dance studio…” Bora said as Dami leaned forward.</p>
<p>“was there any odd behavior he had towards you?” Dami asked, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“no, but he would travel with a pack of people that would follow me around but never practice when I would be teaching. I ended up yelling at the group, telling them that if they were not there to learn, then they needed to leave.” Bora said with a frown.</p>
<p>“I didn’t expect him to not show up again, he was one of the few that actually tried. But the next day, the whole group just didn’t show up.” Bora said as she shrugged.</p>
<p>“I wonder if he took it personally. He may have thought you were only talking to him. Maybe he even felt humiliated for being called out. If he's as unstable as he sounds, he may think that everything you say is about him…” Dami said as a shiver traveled across Bora’s body when she realized something.</p>
<p>“That means that there it's probably cameras in the studio, isn’t there?” Bora asked, and Dami nodded grimly.</p>
<p>“most likely…” Dami said as she stood up. “what worries me is he changed his MO.  He has never used a gun before in previous crimes. This worries me. He seems to be getting more unstable…” Dami said as she shook her head, thinking of yesterday as she massaged her leg.</p>
<p>“How is your leg feeling?” Minji asked with worry as she watched Dami rubbing it subconsciously.</p>
<p>“it hurts. But we know that’s normal.” Dami said as she shrugged. “I limp a bit when I first start walking, but then it eases,” Dami said as Bora frowned.</p>
<p>“you will need to take it easy then,” Bora said, but Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“the bastard shot me twice. I'm not letting him get away with this, and I'm not letting you do it alone.” Dami said as she crossed her arms and glared at Bora.</p>
<p>“Besides, you will need my connections to get rid of the body unless you want us all to get caught,” Dami said as she smirked.</p>
<p>Bora looked in confusion at Dami. “what connections?” Bora asked, but Dami just shook her head.</p>
<p>“I will tell you later. Just promise you won't hate me. Right now, we need to arm up.” Dami said as she stood up and winced.</p>
<p>“well? Let's go.” Dami said as the two followed the hobbling girl. They still didn’t understand anything, but Bora made sure to take the journal with her as well as all of the new info that they had gathered yesterday.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After fifteen minutes of driving, the girls arrived at Dami’s apartment. “what are we doing here?” Bora asked as Dami struggled to get out of the driver's seat.</p>
<p>Minji ended up coming around and helping Dami out of the car, and soon, the three made their way inside the house.</p>
<p>“Seriously, why are we here?” Bora asked as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Always so impatient…” Dami said as she made her way into the closet of her bedroom.</p>
<p>“oh no… Dami’s in the closet!” Minji teased, causing the others to groan at the cheesy joke.</p>
<p>“yes, and you two get your asses in here too!” Dami said as Bora and Minji walked into the walk-in closet.</p>
<p>They watched as Dami shifted her suits out of the way and nodded at the wall. As Bora and Minji looked closer, they realized that there was a door hidden behind the clothing.</p>
<p>“What is this?” Bora asked as Dami entered the code, causing the door to open, and soon, she was inside and signaling the others before the door closed back on them.</p>
<p>“does Gahyeon know about this?” Bora asked as she looked around, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“of course. This requires a code to get in, and both Gahyeon and I have different ones. Every time one of the codes is keyed in, I get a message on my cell. Gahyeon knows if there is an intruder to come in here. They wouldn’t be able to get to her, and she would be armed to the teeth if they do manage to get in here somehow.” Dami said as she led them downstairs.</p>
<p>It was obviously a basement, but it was covered with weapons that had to be completely illegal. There were even sets of body armor and what looked like regular clothing as well.</p>
<p>On the other side of the basement was an actual shooting range, and Bora couldn’t help but look at Dami suspiciously.</p>
<p>“and what do you do for a living again?” Bora asked ad Dami giggled.</p>
<p>She actually giggled. Not a regular laugh but a very girly giggle, and both Minji and Bora looked at each other nervously.</p>
<p>“I am just a girl who flunked out of bodyguard school and now runs a restaurant,” Dami said with a smile as the two sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“but my parents run the biggest gang in Seoul...” Dami said it like it was nothing, but both Minji and Bora froze as they looked at the younger girl in shock.</p>
<p>“they what?” Minji asked as she remembered meeting the sweet couple that Dami had introduced as her parents. They couldn’t be…</p>
<p>“are the people you introduced to us…” Bora trailed off, but Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, they were my real parents. Unlike what you would think. They don’t like being the leaders. So they liked playing a normal family for a night. They really like you all.” Dami said casually like she didn’t just drop that they met the most dangerous people in Seoul.</p>
<p>“so, do you follow in their footsteps?” Bora asked hesitantly as Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“no. Like I said, they don’t want this life for themselves. They were forced to take over the family business from their parents. They didn’t want me to be forced to do the same. Its why they were so excited that I entered bodyguard school instead of asking to join.” Dami said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“but my mother didn’t want me hurting for money, so she left me the restaurant just in case. And don’t worry. Nothing illegal is done at the restaurant. But a lot of my clients are the higher members of the gang.” Dami said, and Bora just didn’t know what to say.</p>
<p>“but by being their daughter, doesn’t that put you as well as Gahyeon at risk?” Minji asked worriedly, but Dami shook her head as she pulled the collar of her shirt out of the way to show a tattoo below her collarbone by her shoulder.</p>
<p>“The first thing that my parents did when they took over is creating this. It's universal for all gangs in the area. It means I'm untouchable unless you want to start a war with every gang. Gahyeon has one too.  And they can't be faked because you need to have the leaders of at least two gangs present to get the tattoo from one specific person who uses specific ink. She's safe. Don’t worry.” Dami said as Bora’s jaw dropped.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon has a tattoo! Before me?” Bora shouted as Dami and Minji rolled their eyes.</p>
<p>“that’s what you focused on out of all of that?” Dami asked as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“well anyway. We know he uses knives, so knife resistant clothing would be good…” Dami said as she walked around the clothing and grabbed things that should fit them.</p>
<p>“Also, he started using guns, so here is some body armor. He only had a small pistol, so we don’t need anything too heavy right now…” Dami said as she started throwing body armor to each girl and started helping show them how to put the armor on.</p>
<p>“now remember. We can't go walking around in helmets to protect our heads from getting shot at, so be careful… wait… do either of you know how to ride a motorcycle?” Dami asked as she looked at the two.</p>
<p>Minji looked at Bora, who raised her hand hesitantly.</p>
<p>“then maybe this will be easier than we thought. Delivery drivers are known to wear their helmets inside buildings without drawing attention. I have some bulletproof helmets, so he won't know it's us. Plus, I can have the gang deliver some motorcycle leathers that are bulletproof in your sizes. I can probably have them by the end of the day…” Dami said as she grabbed an old looking flip phone that was lying on a shelf and flicked it open.</p>
<p>“hey, uncle? I need some gear. Can you have it to me by today? And please keep this a secret from mom and dad… ok, thanks! I will message you the sizes!” Dami said in a cute voice that caught the two off guard.</p>
<p>“ok. Now we just wait for it to be delivered and start to create our plan…” Dami said back in her normal deeper voice.</p>
<p>“ready? Dami asked as she pulled out her laptop and started pulling up the security cameras. “we have a lot of footage to go through.” Dami said as she signaled them to sit at the table beside her.</p>
<p>“you know you are going to have to explain this some more later, right?” Bora said as Dami sighed and nodded.</p>
<p>“well, Eunwoo was right to be suspicious. I guess the reason you knew about all the bugs and cameras was that…?” Bora trailed off, and Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, my family. When my parents took over for their family's gangs and formed a larger one, many other gangs tried to get ears and eyes in the house. I learned at an early age about cameras and listening devices.” Dami said, sounding slightly distracted as she started scanning through the crowd in the footage.</p>
<p>“there!” Dami shouted as she pointed at one screen. It was of an area that they didn’t think to guard, and the group realized their mistake as they watched Sanha slip in and mix with the crowd easily.</p>
<p>“so that’s how the bastard got in…” Bora said as she tensed and looked at the paused image of Siyeon’s killer.</p>
<p>“your mine, you bastard…” Bora said with a growl as she made sure to memorize his face.</p>
<p><em>‘all mine…’</em> Bora thought before correcting herself. <em>‘all OURS…’</em> Bora thought as a grin spread across her face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Going Up Against Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>After a couple of hours of combing through the boring video footage from the concert, they learned a couple of things.</p>
<p>First, he bought a ticket but still snuck in. It shows he is indeed paranoid, which makes him even more dangerous.</p>
<p>Second, he is so unpredictable. As they went over the footage from Dami’s cameras, they noticed this Sanha kid zoning out during the concert. Sometimes he would shake his head, or his expressions would switch wildly.</p>
<p>“he is definitely having mental issues. He seems delusional thinking that we are his to play with. He also seems to be hallucinating at the concert.” Bora said as she pointed at the screen.</p>
<p>“His wild expressions show that something is playing in his head different than what we see…” Bora said as she got a cold chill from his wild expression.</p>
<p>“the bad thing is it seems he wasn’t diagnosed with it when he was younger. I sent his name to one of my uncles, and he pulled up some of his records for me. According to this, his family life wasn’t a good one. Alcoholic parents and constantly drunk…” Dami said as she read through his file.</p>
<p>“once in high school, it seems like he was living with Eunwoo. Wait, Bora? Isn’t this the high school you Minji and Siyeon went to?” Dami asked as she pointed at the school's name on the screen.</p>
<p>Bora leaned in for a better look, and soon her eyes went wide as she nodded.</p>
<p>“This means that you all are tied together more than we originally thought… one second…” Dami said as she did some rapid typing.</p>
<p>Soon they were looking at the high school photos of Eunwoo, Jinwoo, Moonbin, Minhyuk, and MJ. Sanha’s photo was blank, but his place holder was there.</p>
<p>“all of us went to the same school? How come I didn’t remember them? They do look familiar when I see them like this…” Bora said as Minji nodded.</p>
<p>“they were in the dance club, and a couple of them were into sports, right?” Minji asked as Dami looked for club photos.</p>
<p>“yes, here!” Dami said as she pulled up several photos showing the boys. Bora looked at the photos and paused.</p>
<p>“Minji…” Bora said, sounding slightly alarmed.</p>
<p>“what?” Minji asked as she looked over to Bora. The smaller girl pointed over to the boys' dance club photo, and Minji leaned in as she froze.</p>
<p>“isn’t that the kid that had a severe crush on you in high school?” Minji asked as she looked at Bora. The smaller girl nodded and pointed to the names at the bottom of the picture.</p>
<p>“Jinwoo, Minhyuk, Sanha… SANHA?!?” Minji shouted as she snapped up and met Bora’s eyes. “the same Sanha that has killed us all at least once? Him?” Minji asked in shock as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“he looks so different now. He looks just like a sweet shy little boy with braces here…” Minji said as she frowned.</p>
<p>“is that a bruise on the side of his face?” Minji asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“according to his school records, he missed the yearbook picture day due to being in the hospital. It says that the school reported the abuse to the police.” Dami said as she read.</p>
<p>“shortly after that, he was pulled from the school to live with another family who happened to be Eunwoo’s as he finished the rest of his last year in high school…” Dami said as she pointed at the page.</p>
<p>“it almost makes me feel bad for him. ALMOST!” Bora said as she glared at his picture.</p>
<p>“What is sad is that if he actually had a caring family, he may have been diagnosed at an early age, and with help, maybe he wouldn’t have turned into the monster he is now…” Dami said as Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“We don’t know that. For all we know, it wouldn’t have changed a thing, and he still would have ended up this crazy. Also, remember the military notified him that he was exempt due to mental illness. If he wanted to seek help, he could have then. I don’t feel sorry for him…” Bora said as she remembered the two times, she held siyeon’s cold body in her arms.</p>
<p>“I agree with that, don’t get me wrong. I'm just wondering that if he had a loving family that treated him with care, would he have turned out better? We will never know, but I hope that would have been the case.” Dami said as she continued to read through his file.</p>
<p>“hmm…” Dami said as the two leaned in curiously.</p>
<p>“what?” Minji asked as she looked at Dami worriedly.</p>
<p>“he has no current address listed. He is literally off the grid at the moment. How are we going to find him?” Dami asked as Minji and Bora thought.</p>
<p>“lure him by using Bora as bait? or his own cameras against him?” Minji asked jokingly, but as Dami’s and Bora’s eyes went wide, she realized that maybe she shouldn’t have said that.</p>
<p>“no. No! It was a joke! This will be dangerous!” Minji said as Bora glanced over to Dami.</p>
<p>“Minji and I can wear the gear and follow you after he takes you. It will show us where he may live now, and then we will be ready for an ambush…” Dami said aloud as she thought of the plan.</p>
<p>“Absolutely not! For one, I can’t ride a motorcycle! Only Bora can! Also, I don’t want to risk my best friend just so that we MAY find out where he lives! There's no guarantee! For all we know, he may take her to that same damned abandoned house!” Minji said in anger, but she noticed Dami’s eyes go wide as she started typing vigorously on the computer.</p>
<p>“look!” Dami said as she stared at a couple of reports for the abandoned house that they now knew all too well.</p>
<p>“This house belonged to Sanha’s parents from when he was a baby to just before middle school!” Dami said as she looked up the old owners of the house.</p>
<p>“then how come Eunwoo didn’t recognize it?” Bora asked, but Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“remember? He said he didn’t become friends with the others until middle school or high school. This means he would have never seen this house!” Dami said as she looked at the house that already held such bad memories for Bora and her friends.</p>
<p>“then does that mean he is sticking close to where he has known? Like maybe similar to a safety blanket?” Minji asked as Bora looked quickly over to Dami, who started searching Sanha’s old addresses.</p>
<p>“There are three other addresses listed from his school years and two addresses from after he moved out that we can check. I think we need to scout each location before we set a trap. It's best to know the location before we walk in there unprepared…” Dami said as she printed out the list of addresses.</p>
<p>“I will also pull up the blueprints of the buildings. They can be found online, and it will give us a bit of an understanding before we walk in there. If we look completely lost, they won't believe the whole delivery person story.” Dami said as the others nodded.</p>
<p>A chirp from the old flip phone interrupted their planning, and when Dami flipped it open, she stood up and walked back upstairs.</p>
<p>“the gear is here. I will be right back!” Dami said as she walked upstairs.</p>
<p>Several minutes later, Dami came back smiling as she carried a large box in her arms.</p>
<p>Dami walked over to the table they were working at and set the box down with a thud and soon started going back for another trip. Several trips later, Dami was digging into the many boxes as she handed the girls their gear. Dami couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>“my uncle is the greatest!” Dami said as she handed not one but two sets of gear to the girls, including helmets.</p>
<p> The first set was all black and wouldn’t attract much attention. The other set, however, seemed to be special for each girl.</p>
<p>Bora looked at the black and purple motorcycle leathers and nodded approvingly. “sexy!” she said as she smiled and looked over to Minji.</p>
<p>Just like Bora Minji had an all-black set but the other one was black with pink accents and a pink graffiti bunny on the back of it. Minji looked over with a brow raised.</p>
<p>“How does your uncle know what we would like?” Minji asked as she clutched the gear to her chest lovingly.</p>
<p>Dami shrugged with a smile. “they may do background checks on my friends. He's a bit overprotective of me…” Dami said with another shrug and held up her black and white suit and groaned before laughing.</p>
<p>“what? Bora asked as she looked over at Dami, who turned the back of the suit to face the other girls. Bora laughed as she looked at a graffiti panda on the back.</p>
<p>“he always would tease me saying I looked like a panda…” Dami said with a pout causing Minji and Bora to laugh.</p>
<p>“I never thought of that! It totally fits!” Bora said as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“what’s yours?” Dami said as she pointed at the back of the leathers. Bora turned it around and looked at a tiny little puffball of a bird in purple, looking extremely angry. Bora looked at it in confusion as she turned it around to show the others.</p>
<p>As soon as Dami looked at the image, she started bursting out in laughter.</p>
<p>“what's so funny?” Bora asked as she held the bird up beside her face, and Minji couldn’t help but laugh.</p>
<p>“he said that you look like a tiny little bird! I didn’t think he would put it as your animal!” Dami said as she laughed at the girl.</p>
<p>“But why am I an angry little bird? Why couldn’t I look happy?” Bora asked as Minji snorted, trying to fight more laughter.</p>
<p>“happy little birds aren’t really threatening now, are they?” Dami said with a brow raised.</p>
<p>“How is this threatening?” Bora said as she held it up again, earning uncontrollable laughter from the other two causing her to sulk as Dami threw a set of black and purple gloves at her.</p>
<p>“The gloves are blade resistant. They also have protection for your knuckles just in case you need to punch someone for laughing at your little birdy.” Dami said, hiding a grin as Bora stuck her tongue out at the younger girl and slid her tiny hands into the gloves.</p>
<p> Bora was surprised. They fit like well, a glove. And for someone with such tiny hands that surprised her.</p>
<p>“Does your uncle even know our underwear sizes?” Bora asked jokingly as Dami tried on the gear her uncle gave her.</p>
<p>“probably…” Dami said as she zipped up the black leathers causing both Minji and Bora to freeze.</p>
<p>“he is VERY thorough with his background checks,” Dami said as she slid on her gloves and looked into the empty box one last time before freezing.</p>
<p>Soon Dami let out a squeal of excitement catching the other two off guard as they looked at Dami holding up three sets of keys.</p>
<p>“what do those go to?” Minji asked as Dami bolted up the stairs calling for the others to follow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“no way…” Bora said in shock as the three stood outside Dami’s first-floor apartment they were looking at three shiny new motorcycles. Each matched the special leathers that the girls were given, and Dami was beaming in excitement.</p>
<p>“um, not trying to offend anyone, but will these be listed as stolen?” Minji asked nervously as Dami laughed.</p>
<p>“no, he knows never to give me stolen gear.  This is his gift to us. Look, each key has our names on it!” Dami said as she handed each girl their keys.</p>
<p>Bora looked at the sexy black and purple bike and couldn’t stop herself from drooling.</p>
<p>It had been years since she had been on a bike and she missed it.</p>
<p>“Please be careful Bora, you remember what happened the last time you were on one…” Minji said worriedly as Bora rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“I was run off the road by a lunatic! I didn’t wreck because I couldn’t drive!” Bora said as she poked Minji’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“it still worries me when I remember you lying in the hospital bed… just please be careful…” Minji said with her worried puppy eyes, and Bora couldn’t help but laugh at the cuteness.</p>
<p>“all right! I promise!” Bora said as she hugged Minji to make the older girl feel better. “just remember not to tell Siyeon…” Bora whispered.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how she will react. She loved me on my bike, but she seemed scared of me even being around one after the accident.” Bora said as Minji rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“of course! Her girlfriend just said I love you for the first time, and then not even 24 hours later, she gets a call from me saying that you’re in the hospital and might not make it!” Minji said as she rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“that damn doctor, I swear he was just telling us the worst possible outcomes to scare us!” Minji said as she frowned.</p>
<p>“Well, first things first. I was starting to teach you how to ride one of these before, it’s time to teach you again. Dami? You have ridden one recently, right?” Bora asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“mind giving me a refresher and helping the pink bunny over here learn?” Bora asked as she flicked her thumb at Minji.</p>
<p>“ok purple birdy,” Dami said as she nodded and walked into the house briefly as Bora scoffed.</p>
<p>Once Dami came out, the girls could see that she had a helmet on and one in each hand.</p>
<p>“here!” Dami said as she handed over the helmets and helped Minji strap hers on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Dami's bike roared to life, the other two couldn’t help but look in awe at the lights that lit up. The lights were a mix of white LEDs and blacklight strips sticking with the panda theme.</p>
<p>“well, no one could say that they don’t see her while driving…” Minji said as she looked at the bike with an impressed smile.</p>
<p>Bora laughed and flicked down her best friend's face visor causing Minji to shout in surprise as Dami pulls up beside Minji.</p>
<p>“want a ride? Figure it’s better to remember what it feels like before I stick you on one by yourself.” Dami said, and Minji could only nod as she hopped onto the back of Dami’s bike and held on tight.</p>
<p>After a couple of minutes, Dami pulled back up beside Bora. The smaller girl couldn’t help but smile as Minji hopped off, looking excited.</p>
<p>Dami shut off her bike and climbed off easily as she walked over to Bora.</p>
<p>“ready?” Dami asked as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>Bora got onto her bike and was in love as soon as it turned on. The bike glowed a vivid purple, casting everything around it in a beautiful purple light.</p>
<p>“I guess he wanted to make sure you would be seen too?” Dami said as she looked at the bright lights and smiled.</p>
<p>“remind me to hug your uncle…” Bora said as she stroked the bike lovingly as both Minji and Dami laughed at her.</p>
<p>After a quick refresher, Bora was riding like she used to. Dami was very impressed, and soon, the two were helping Minji learn. </p>
<p>After a couple of hours, Minji had no problems, and they were now ready to go stake out the other addresses Dami had gathered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“ok here are the blueprints for the first three locations. Here is also a magnet that goes on the side of your bike and a removable decal to go on the sides of your helmet. Let's switch over to our black gear and start getting this rolling!”</p>
<p>The first address was Minji’s. It was an apartment building. The girl pulled up to the address and got off her bike with pink accent lights with ease and walked into the building while looking at the address written on the fake package.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“nothing…” Minji said to the girls as she hopped back on her bike. “the family had lived there for years and never knew who lived there before them,” Minji said as Dami hummed on the line.</p>
<p>“I'm at the next address. I'm going inside.” Dami said, and soon, she came back with the same news as Minji.</p>
<p>“Alright, my turn…” Bora said as she pulled up to a large building that looked more like a warehouse than a regular address.</p>
<p>It was, in fact, a warehouse. It was now abandoned, and the one that would run it while the warehouse was still open had a small apartment above it.</p>
<p>Bora tried to act confident as she walked up the stairs to the small apartment that was at the top of the warehouse.</p>
<p><em>‘who the hell designed this place!’</em> Bora thought to herself as she climbed the many stairs to the top.</p>
<p>Once she arrived at the top, she noticed clothing on a clothesline outside and on the drying rack. What caught her attention was the cream jacket that was hanging out to dry.</p>
<p>Bora remembered that Moonbin had struggled with the stalker ending up with several slashes, which meant that if she had seen this jacket that night, it would have been coated in blood. But here It hung clean and looking like new.</p>
<p><em>‘how could he so easily attack Moonbin like that? They used to be friends…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she walked to the rooftop apartment and knocked on the door.</p>
<p>As she looked around, she noticed that the few windows that were there were painted black or covered with things to block out the light. It gave Bora a creepy feeling.</p>
<p>There was no answer, so she tried knocking one more time before leaving.</p>
<p>As she was about to give up and started to turn around, she heard the door creak open and a soft voice answer.</p>
<p>“yes? Can I help you?” a soft voice asked. As Bora turned around, she was glad for her helmet. She turned around and was now staring at Sanha, and she knew her expression would have given it away if her face wasn’t covered.</p>
<p>Casually Bora mumbled “package” and handed the small package to him.</p>
<p>“it doesn’t say who it's for…” Sanha said as he turned the package around and shook it gently.</p>
<p>Bora shrugged and held out the clipboard for him to sign, and soon, she was off. She didn’t stop to radio the girls for fear that he had cameras around his home. After all, they have seen from him, they just knew to expect them. Bora wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case, so she quickly kickstarted her bike and rode off.</p>
<p>Once Bora had put several blocks between her and Sanha, she radioed in.</p>
<p>“found him!” Bora shouted, startling the other two.</p>
<p>“seriously? This seems too easy, are you sure?” Dami asked, but Bora assured her.</p>
<p>“I saw him myself. He even had the same coat hanging outside that he wore the night of the concert!” Bora said as she remembered the hours of photos and videos that they had sifted through.</p>
<p>“ok, meet me back at my apartment. We will group up there and plan what to do.” Dami said as she spun her bike around and raced towards her apartment.</p>
<p>“I'm on my way too. Bora… just be careful! And make sure that you are not being followed. He's known for being paranoid!” Minji said as Bora agreed and started heading towards Dami’s apartment.</p>
<p>She was careful and continuously looked in her mirrors when she noticed a car that had been following her for the last three lights.</p>
<p><em>‘hmm… something doesn’t feel right…’</em> Bora said to herself. At the last minute, she abruptly turned right, leaving almost no time for the car behind her to turn.</p>
<p><em>‘if he turns, he's following me…’</em> Bora thought as she looked over her shoulder, and soon, the car screeched its tires as it cut the corner abruptly.</p>
<p>“shit!” Bora shouted as she gunned it and zipped along the back roads trying to lose the car that was clearly chasing her now.</p>
<p>Soon it was almost alongside her. Bora was afraid to go too fast after her accident, but she was about to say fuck it when he tried to run her off the road.</p>
<p>Bora dodged the attempt easily.</p>
<p><em>‘oh, not again! I won't fall for that same trick twice!’</em> Bora thought as she increased her speed and raced away.</p>
<p>The car behind her didn’t give up easily as it accelerated, trying to catch up as well.</p>
<p>It was just like when she was younger. The way the person was driving was exactly the same, but she wasn’t thinking about that right now.</p>
<p>Right now, the only thing she was worried about was keeping her ass on the bike and staying alive.</p>
<p>Bora quickly pushed the button on her helmet, sending a call to Dami while making sure to dodge the debris in the alleys she sped through. All she needed was to hit something tiny and cause the wheel to jerk, and with the speed she was going, she could end up spread across the pavement.</p>
<p>“Bora, where are you? You should have been here by now!” Dami said, but she was cut off from saying anything more as Bora screamed into the helmet.</p>
<p>“I'm being chased! He's trying to run me off of the road!  Can you use the tracking app and lend me a hand?” Bora shouted as Dami jumped up from her chair she was sitting in as she signaled Minji to follow her.</p>
<p>“We are on our way! Just please be careful!” Dami shouted, and her panic made Minji pale.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Minji asked as she grabbed Dami’s arm worriedly.</p>
<p>“either the stalker or someone else is chasing her. She seems panicked and called us for help. Let's go!” Dami said as she threw her spare car keys to Minji.</p>
<p>“you go by car, and I will go by bike! That way, if we need to ditch our bikes, we can get in the car!” Dami shouted as Minji ran to the Car and hopped in.</p>
<p>“pull up the tracking app!” try to get at least two to three streets ahead of her!” Dami said as she hopped on to her bike, and it roared to life. Soon the only sounds heard were the screeching of tires as they sped away going to Bora’s rescue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami was zipping through the streets as she looked at her phone that was clipped to her bike's handlebars.</p>
<p><em>‘almost there!’</em> Dami thought as she sped closer. She was traveling at a dangerous speed and was praying no cars came out of nowhere because if she struck anything at this speed, it would be game over.</p>
<p>The dot indicating Bora was now one street over. “Minji, are you in position?” Dami asked as she looked at the dot, indicating the older girl.</p>
<p>“I am… are you sure you want to do this? Your car…” Minji whispered worriedly, but Dami cut her off.</p>
<p>“I can just buy a new one. Besides, it’s the spare I never drive. The key is you and Bora getting out of there safely! Once she guns it and puts enough distance, I will give you the signal. Block the alley with the car. I will be there waiting for you, so hop on and were off. Got it?” Dami said as Minji agreed with her and got into position.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bora, can you hear us?” Dami asked, and soon they heard her shouting.</p>
<p>“were in position. Start gaining speed! We need you to create enough distance so that Minji has enough time to block the road and get out of the car before he hits it. So, start gunning it!” Dami shouted as Bora complied.</p>
<p>“I'm about a block away from him, but he's not giving up!” Bora said, but she heard Dami shouting.</p>
<p>Bora glanced behind her to see Dami’s car block the road, and Minji jumps out of the car as the stalker barreled towards it.</p>
<p>Bora’s eyes went wide as she saw Minji running too slow but right as it seemed like it was too late, Dami sped by and scooped the older girl up, and now Minji was on the back of Dami’s bike as they zipped away as the sound of tires screeching and metal meeting metal boomed in the tiny alley.</p>
<p>Bora looked back, hoping that the driver was seriously injured, but sadly, he seemed unhurt as Sanha got out of the car swearing as he looked at the damage before glaring at the girls as they escaped.</p>
<p>“That was insane! You two could have been killed!” Bora shouted as she slowed down to a safer speed, and soon, Dami was beside her with Minji on the back of her bike, giving a thumbs up to Bora telling her she was ok.</p>
<p>Bora couldn’t help but roll her eyes as they headed back to Dami’s apartment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“well, that was enough excitement for a lifetime…” Minji said as she fell onto the couch with an exasperated sigh.</p>
<p>“understatement of the century,” Dami said as she flopped down on the opposite side and leaned back.</p>
<p>“Hello? I’m the one that was in danger the most, you know!” Bora teased as she flopped between the girls on the couch.</p>
<p>“Now what?” Bora asked as Dami groaned and leaned forward to grab her laptop that she brought over to the couch.</p>
<p>“now we look up the past and current owners of that warehouse and look up the blueprints. We need to know everything about it if we want to do this right…” Dami said as the other two groaned.</p>
<p>“not more research… who knew to be a criminal meant you still had to study shit!” Bora said with a groan as she leaned in closer for a better view.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a couple hours of studying, the girls knew the warehouse and the apartment above it like the back of their hands.</p>
<p>“it looks like the warehouse used to be a place for gang activity while he lived here,” Dami said as she looked up its history.</p>
<p>“It was for a rival gang of my father. When my father took over, he chased them out of Seoul… but I don’t like the history of this place. We need to be careful. It seems like I'm not the only one exposed to gang activity at a young age. And I bet his experiences with it were a bit rougher than mine…” Dami said as she glanced at the two.</p>
<p>“so that’s how he knows to use a knife so well?” Minji asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“it’s probably where he got that gun from and knows how to shoot it. It also explains why he always goes for the lungs…” Dami said as she pulled up old news articles about the gang that owned the warehouse before.</p>
<p>“they would kill their rivals with a knife or bullet to the lungs. They liked the person to be in pain and suffering as they died. A simple bullet to the head wasn’t good enough because it was too quick.” Dami said as she pointed at the articles.</p>
<p>“Sanha’s father managed to get on the leader's bad side right after Sanha was pulled out of his house because he was found dead in the same way…” Dami said as she pulled up his father's autopsy results.</p>
<p>“what if…” Bora thought aloud before looking at Dami. “what if it wasn’t the gang but Sanha? His father was abusive, right? Also, Sanha is unstable…” Bora said aloud as she thought about the situation.</p>
<p>“he couldn’t do anything while he was living there for fear. But once he was free…” Bora said as she looked at Dami with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“it’s a possibility…” Dami said as she nodded. “it looks like the stab wound wasn’t very clean. Possibly from hesitation or shaking.” Dami said as she pointed at the doctor's findings.</p>
<p>“Also, the way that he was driving… it was EXACTLY the same as the car that ran me off the road in high school…” Bora said as she looked at Minji. The older girl’s eyes went wide, realizing what Bora meant.</p>
<p>“it was HIM?” Minji said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“I'm not 100% sure. But it was the same maneuvers and because I remembered them from before I was able to dodge them this time…” Bora said as Dami frowned.</p>
<p>“that bastard even came to your hospital room! He wasn’t let in by the doctors, but still, how could he show up there?!” Minji asked as she remembered the shy boy that had a crush on Bora as he pleaded to see her to the doctors.</p>
<p>“maybe he hoped that you would notice him if you woke up and he was there. How many movies have you seen where the person falls in love with their caregivers? Nurses, doctors, or ones that sat beside them while they healed…” Dami said as both Minji and Bora got the chills from the thought.</p>
<p>“We need to stop this maniac…” Minji said as Dami nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“here's the plan…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Outside the Warehouse-</p>
<p>The three pulled up to the warehouse in the middle of the night, hoping to catch him by surprise.</p>
<p>“Minji, you go with Bora. I will sneak into the warehouse and enter the apartment that way.” Dami whispered softly as Bora grabbed the younger girl's arm.</p>
<p>“How are you going to get in there? I doubt he left it unlocked, and I'm pretty sure that he won't leave a key for you!” Bora whispered back as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“what daughter of a gang leader doesn’t know how to pick a lock?” Dami said as she held up a pouch that held her lockpick set.</p>
<p>“Bora released her arm as she shook her head at the younger girl.</p>
<p>“you keep surprising me. I'm so glad you are on our side…” Bora said as Dami winked before clicking down her visor and walking silently towards the front of the warehouse.</p>
<p>“well, let's go do this…” Bora said as she held the cold piece of metal in her pocket nervously.</p>
<p>The two walked slowly up the steps with their hands tightly around the guns in their pockets. They were ready for any surprises. Once they were in position, they waited for Dami’s message.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long before their phones vibrated with a message from Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>DAMI</p>
<p>I'm in, he's asleep. The warehouse is empty, and I blocked the warehouse's exits. Chase him into the warehouse, and we will have him trapped like a rat!</p>
<p>Start whenever you are ready.</p>
<p> I'm in position!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami messaged, and the two girls nodded after they swallowed nervously and stood up to walk over to the door.</p>
<p>“how do we get in? We don’t have a key!” Minji said, but Bora pulled out what looked like a credit card and slid it into the door, and with a click, she was in.</p>
<p>“how am I friends with a bunch of criminals?!” Minji whispered as Bora rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon taught me this!” Bora whispered offended as she shushed the older girl who now wondered why how her girlfriend knew how to break into a house and quietly opened the door as they stepped inside.</p>
<p>They stood there in silence for a couple seconds as they waited for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, and soon, their surroundings became clear even with their visors down.</p>
<p>Minji gasped softly as she pointed at the only light coming from the other room. They could just see a wall of pictures, and the two froze.</p>
<p>Pictures of Bora and Siyeon were in the shape of hearts, as well as photos of the others decorated it from what they could see from the doorway.</p>
<p>Bora signaled for Minji to follow her quietly as she listened to the soft snoring from another room. As they walked into the room, the girl's mouths dropped in shock.</p>
<p>There were pictures of the girls from high school to now. The ones that looked newer were the ones that led to the exit that seemed to lead to the warehouse. The other end of the wall showed pictures of Eunwoo and a beautiful girl that must have been his fiancé.</p>
<p>It was proven to be true when they looked down to see pictures of the girl with Handong looking happy.</p>
<p>Cautiously Minji took out her cellphone and made sure the flash was off. After she was sure that there would be no flash to wake up the sleeping person in the other room, Minji quickly took pictures of the photo wall, and when she turned around, she froze in shock.</p>
<p>Minji nudged Bora, who was looking at the photos on the wall closely. The smaller girl didn’t turn around, leading Minji to nudge her harder in the ribs as she let out a surprised squeak.</p>
<p>Bora turned around in a panic, expecting to see the stalker awake, but instead, she was looking at something that was in a glass case that was softly lit. As she walked over, her eyes went wide. It was a small urn with a name written on it as well as a lock of long black hair. Bora spun around to look at Minji with a shocked expression.</p>
<p>The look went unnoticed due to the dark helmets, so Bora had to whisper.</p>
<p>“Is this what I think it is?” Bora whispered softly as Minji nodded her head. Bora pointed for her to get a picture, and once she was done, Minji quickly removed the memory card from her phone and handed it to Bora.</p>
<p>The smaller girl opened up her jacket and pulled out the journal as she tucked the memory card safely inside. Afterward, the two pulled out their weapons and their flashlights in the other hand.</p>
<p>“let's hope that Dami’s plan really works…” Bora whispered as she walked into the tiny bedroom and positioned herself so that there was only one way to run while Minji guarded the front door.</p>
<p>Bora pulled out her phone and a mini Bluetooth speaker, which she placed gently beside the sleeping boy's head and hit play on a video. The numbers counted down on it as Bora tucked her phone back in her pocket and aimed the gun in the direction of the stalker.</p>
<p>Once the countdown went to zero, a loud BANG that sounded like a realistic gunshot was heard from the speaker, causing Sanha to jump in a panic only to look up into the barrel of Bora’s gun.</p>
<p>“shit!” he screamed as he ran out of the room.</p>
<p>As soon as he exited the room and faced the door, Minji turned on her strobe flashlight.</p>
<p>Sanha quickly flung his hands up to block the flashing lights from shining into his eyes as he fell backward in shock. Panic rose up in his chest as the flashing lights disoriented him.</p>
<p>“Stop it!” he screamed as he scrambled to his feet and bolted for his other exit. Once through the door, he slammed it behind him and looked for the rusty piece of a metal bar he would use to block the door when he left. It was missing, but he didn’t think much of it as he swore and turned to run down the stairs in a panic.</p>
<p>Sanha bolted down the stairs two at a time. His panic subsiding slightly as he went down the last flight of metal stairs and didn’t hear the intruders following him.  Once he cleared the stairs, he turned to his right to bolt to the front doors of the warehouse when the missing metal bar came crashing down onto his back, knocking him down to the ground as he let out a cry of pain.</p>
<p>Sanha groaned as he wallowed on the ground as pain radiated from the point of impact on his back. He turned around to see a slender figure in all black walking forward while casually dragging the metal bar on the ground.</p>
<p>The scraping noise bothered him greatly as he covered his ears and felt the panic and voices starting. His panic only increased as he heard two separate sets of footsteps slowly descending the stairs.</p>
<p>Sanha turned around in a panic to spot two more figures in all black.</p>
<p>“Remember me?” the smaller of the three asked with a familiar feminine voice. He couldn’t pinpoint where he had heard it from due to his panicked state, or he would have recognized Bora’s voice right away.</p>
<p>The sight of the two walking slowly with guns in their hands was finally enough motivation for him to move as he scrambled to get to his feet. He didn’t get very far, though. He only made it two steps away before Bora aimed her gun and fired.</p>
<p>Sanha’s screams echoed throughout the empty warehouse as he clutched the leg Bora shot. Dami looked over to Bora, and the shorter girl nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, that was for you,” Bora said as she slowly walked closer while keeping the gun trained on Sanha the entire time.</p>
<p>“you think that you can try to kill me and disrupt my family, and I would do nothing?” Bora asked as she leaned closer to Sanha’s panicked face.</p>
<p>Dami walked over and grabbed his shirt tightly by the collar, and pulled him closer as she looked into his eyes.</p>
<p>Sanha stared into the black visor in panic when suddenly, a fist crashed into his face. Dami’s fist connected with Sanha’s face three more times before she froze.</p>
<p>Dami had not let go of Sanha’s shirt as she struck him, causing the shirt to stretch. By luck, Dami looked down and froze in shock as she looked at the same tattoo that she and Gahyeon had.</p>
<p>Quickly she pulled out her flashlight and switched it to blacklight mode and shined it onto the tattoo. There white letters and symbols appeared as Dami swore. It wasn’t a fake. He was untouchable by her.</p>
<p>“shit!” Dami shouted as she flung Sanha down angrily and stepped back to speak to Bora. The smaller girl looked over at Dami with a curious head tilt due to them not being able to see each other's faces.</p>
<p>“he's protected… the same tattoo. It means that I can't do anything… I'm sorry. We also can’t use my family to get rid of the body…” Dami said softly as Bora looked back in shock.</p>
<p>“We have come so far…” Bora said softly as she thought for a moment. Soon she straightened as she looked at Dami.</p>
<p>“Leave right now and take Minji with you. This was my plan, and I will do it by myself. I won’t drag you down with me. Go and make an alibi with Minji. And please… tell Siyeon I'm sorry. I should have believed her, but I will protect her till the end…” Bora said as she turned around to face Sanha.</p>
<p>Dami grabbed her arm, trying to stop her as Minji walked closer, but Bora shook her head. “protect Gahyeon and Yoohyeon. They need you, and I need to end this, or Siyeon isn’t safe…” Bora said as she gently pulled free of Dami’s grasp and slowly walked over to Sanha with her gun trained on him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora slowly walked over to Sanha and cocked her head to the side as she stared at him intently.</p>
<p>“so…you like going for the lungs… want to know what it feels like?” Bora asked as she tilted her head curiously as she slowly pointed the gun at his chest.</p>
<p>“well?” Bora asked as she nudged him with the tip of her gun.</p>
<p>Minji heard how crazy Bora sounded, and as she went to walk over to stop her best friend, Dami stopped her.</p>
<p>“it's too late. She's come too far. It's now dangerous to get between her and what she wants to do…” Dami said as Minji looked at Bora one last time in defeat as she walked outside with Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“do I sound familiar?” Bora asked as Sanha nodded his head nervously.</p>
<p>“well, who am I?” Bora asked, but Sanha’s mind wasn’t working clearly. He shrugged. He just didn’t know, but that answer was unacceptable to Bora.</p>
<p>“how about now?” Bora asked as she flipped the visor up, showing her eyes to Sanha.</p>
<p>His eyes went wide with shock as he stared into Bora’s intense eyes.</p>
<p>“Remember me now?” Bora asked as he nodded.</p>
<p>“do you know why I'm here?” Bora asked as she tilted her head in the other direction. She never removed the gun aimed at his chest and pressed it hard against him when he didn’t respond right away.</p>
<p>“because you love me? You finally decided to come to me and not Siyeon? Are you done playing hard to get?” he asked as his eyes went wild with daydreams. He was brought back to reality harshly when Bora’s fist connected with his nose extremely hard.</p>
<p>Bora heard a crunch as she connected with Sanha’s nose, and luckily thanks to the armored knuckle guards, it wasn’t her hand that made the crunching noise.</p>
<p>Sanha screamed in pain as he clutched his nose and looked up at Bora, looking betrayed.</p>
<p>“I don’t love you. I never have, and I never will! The only person I have ever loved in my life is Siyeon! I'm even giving up my freedom for her right now when I finally kill you!” Bora screamed as Sanha’s eyes went wide with hurt and terror.</p>
<p>“your lying!” he screamed as he looked up at Bora defiantly.</p>
<p>“I know you just say that because you are afraid to admit you love me!” Sanha screamed as blood poured down his face from his broken nose.</p>
<p>“I do not!” Bora screamed as she kicked Sanha in the stomach.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even know you existed until you started messing with Siyeon! You parasite!” Bora said as she kicked him again, causing him to curl up as he held his stomach.</p>
<p>Bora's motorcycle boots were new and hurt him quite a lot as he groaned in pain as he slowly looked up into Bora’s eyes.</p>
<p>“do you understand me yet?” Bora asked as she took a step closer once Sanha could breathe again.</p>
<p>“you wouldn’t really k-kill me, would you?” Sanha asked as he scrambled backward only to stop as the gun clicked.</p>
<p>“you have no idea how much I want to kill you right now. You bastard!” Bora screamed as she lunged forward.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Outside-</p>
<p>Minji and Dami walked away slowly, feeling like they were betraying Bora by leaving her there. It was tearing Minji apart.</p>
<p><em>‘how can I leave Bora to do this alone! I asked her to include me, and I'm leaving? Just like this?’</em> Minji thought to herself as she stopped and shook her head.</p>
<p>Dami looked up at Minji when she stopped, and her stomach dropped. She knew exactly what Minji was thinking as soon as she looked at Minji and shook her head.</p>
<p>“no-“ Dami said as Minji turned around and ran full speed back towards the warehouse.</p>
<p>“fuck!” Dami shouted as she chased after Minji.</p>
<p><em>‘my parents are going to KILL me!’</em> Dami thought as she ran after Minji as they pulled the warehouse door open and watched as Bora aimed at Sanha, who was laying there bloody and defenseless one last time.</p>
<p>“Bora!” Minji cried, but it was too late.</p>
<p>There was a bang, and soon it was like time stopped for Bora.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora-</p>
<p>Bora pulled the trigger as she watched Sanha’s eyes widen with panic, but just as the bullet was supposed to make contact, everything seemed to freeze.</p>
<p>Bora looked around in shock as she noticed Dami and Minji. Unmoving.</p>
<p>“what the hell is happening?” Bora said aloud as she looked at Sanha again.</p>
<p><em>“I had to stop you…”</em> a faint voice said. Bora looked around. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from.</p>
<p>“what do you mean you had to stop me?” Bora asked as she spun around, looking for the voice.</p>
<p>A faint outline of a girl shimmered into view and flickered like a mirage.</p>
<p>“I had to stop you from doing something you would regret... If I let you shoot him, you would have succeeded in stopping him, thus releasing you from my journal's spell. But at what cost?” the image said as Bora’s surroundings shifted.</p>
<p>Bora was watching images flicker in front of her. One was of her being arrested in front of Siyeon as they both burst into tears. Bora looked ashamed and couldn’t look into siyeon’s eyes as the police escorted her away in handcuffs as Siyeon sunk to her knees in shock at the news her girlfriend was being arrested for murder.</p>
<p>The next one was the trial. Bora was handcuffed as she looked into nothingness as she heard the judge find her guilty. Siyeon clutched onto Yoohyeon as she cried, and the sight made Bora’s chest tighten as she watched Siyeon looking completely heartbroken.</p>
<p>The next shocked her. It was siyeon’s funeral. But this time, Bora wasn’t there beside siyeon’s parents and sister as they held each other crying.</p>
<p>“what’s going on here?” Bora asked as she noticed that the entire time Minji and Dami were missing from her vision as well.</p>
<p>“Siyeon blames herself for everything that happened to the three of you. Once you and the others are declared guilty, she goes into depression, and in the end, it claims her…” the voice said as Bora felt a coldness wash over.</p>
<p>“so, I did this? I did this to her?” Bora asked in shock as she looked over at the image. It shimmered, but there was no definition except an outline that looked feminine that matched the soft voice.</p>
<p>“That was why I had to stop you. It is using a lot of my strength, but that happens when you go up against fate…” the voice said as Bora looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“go against fate?” Bora asked as the image nodded.</p>
<p>“you or Siyeon are fated to die. To save you both. You need the positive fates of many to help you. It is what the journal's purpose is. To go up against fate for love. I can't let you make the same mistake as the one I loved…” the voice said as her form started to shimmer and weaken.</p>
<p>“remember… you need the help of others to fight against your fate. Seek the help of Eunwoo and the others…” she said before her image vanished, and everything went black.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora sat up in bed. Wide awake. Carefully she looked over to her hand, and there lay the journal.</p>
<p>Bora gently opened it and felt the ripped pages. There were five new missing pages for this repeat.</p>
<p><em>‘she wasn’t kidding when she said that it was causing a lot of strength…’</em> Bora thought worriedly as she looked over at Siyeon, who was sleeping peacefully.</p>
<p>Carefully Bora looked at her phone. Careful not to wake the sleeping girl beside her. It was just after midnight.</p>
<p><em>‘Why so early? Is it because I wasn’t asleep when it reset?’</em> Bora wondered as she sat up.</p>
<p>Memories of yesterday were starting to haunt the smaller girl.</p>
<p><em>‘I don’t regret shooting him. But I do regret getting caught and putting Siyeon through hell because of me. I promise I won't try anything like that again...’</em> Bora thought to herself and to the voice that she talked to the night before as she gently stroked siyeon’s adorable cheek as she slept.</p>
<p><em>‘but we will stop him. I promise. Once the sun is up, we will head over to talk with Eunwoo…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she gently removed the memory card from the book and examined it.</p>
<p>“Please work…” Bora whispered as she looked at the small memory card.</p>
<p><em>‘I don’t know if they will believe me without this…’</em> Bora thought as she sighed and leaned back in bed to rest for a couple more hours.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Hard to Accept</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Bora tried to get some sleep, but her mind just kept her awake. Her mind kept revisiting the night before. Specifically, the voice that she talked to.</p>
<p><em>‘who was that?’</em> Bora wondered as she tossed and turned.</p>
<p><em>‘her journal, huh? What is the history of this damn journal?’</em> Bora asked herself as she looked at the book beside her.  It really got her interest. What was the power behind it? What caused it to trigger resets? Bora didn’t know, but it really made her wonder more about it.</p>
<p>After struggling to sleep for several hours, Bora finally sighed and got up. She decided to surprise Siyeon with breakfast in bed. But as Bora was cooking, her mind trailed off to the night before again. The only thing that brought her back was the smell of something burning.</p>
<p>“oh, shit!” Bora shouted as she cut off the heat and looked at the disaster in the pan before her<em>. ‘well fuck, now I have to start over…’</em> Bora thought as she started to clean up and prepare something else for her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Siyeon asked Bora causing the smaller girl to jump in panic. Bora spun around to see Siyeon sleepily leaning against the bedroom doorframe. She was looking at Bora look extremely guilty for burning the food.</p>
<p>“you NEVER burn food anymore, what's wrong?” Siyeon asked as she walked over sleepily and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“what are you doing up? It's not time for you to get up yet.” Bora asked as she looked up into Siyeon’s eyes.</p>
<p>“I was woken up by a burning smell and thought our apartment was on fire only to come out to you swearing with a smoking pan…” Siyeon said as she teased her girlfriend.  Bora stuck her tongue out at Siyeon as a big smile spread across the taller girl's face.</p>
<p>Bora was just so cute when she sulked, and Siyeon just couldn’t help herself as she hugged Bora tighter and snuggled against her.</p>
<p>“aww baby, don’t sulk…” Siyeon said in her cutest voice, knowing Bora had a weak spot for it and laughed when Bora looked up with a cute expression. Siyeon laughed more as she walked Bora away from the kitchen.</p>
<p>“let's go out for breakfast. We can even invite Minji and Yoohyeon with us. It’s been forever since we have done anything together. Sound good?” Siyeon asked, and Bora couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p><em>‘we have had several sleepovers here and have glued ourselves to you. But you don’t remember. Oh, we need to invite Handong too and surprise Siyeon…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she smiled at the idea.</p>
<p>It was always cute how Siyeon would look shocked whenever they would casually talk about Handong. Because from what Siyeon remembers, they have never talked to the quiet girl.</p>
<p>“I will go and ask Minji. Be right back!” Bora said as she walked out the front door.</p>
<p>“you could have just called them, but ok!” Siyeon shouted back as she laughed. Bora seemed really excited this morning, and Siyeon couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>Bora had been slowly getting more and more unstable as the repeats went on, but after last night, it was like she was grounded again. She felt more like herself. Whoever or whatever stopped her that night also helped in snapping Bora out of it before she ended up going insane.</p>
<p>As Bora stood in front of Minji’s door, she wondered if Minji was up at the reset as well as she knocked at the door. She soon heard a shriek of frustration and giggled.</p>
<p><em>‘I guess I'm not the only one who couldn’t sleep….’</em> Bora thought as the door swung wide, showing a very stressed and sleep-deprived Minji.</p>
<p>“What?!” Minji shouted. She was not good with running low on sleep anymore as she got older, and Bora had to fight back a laugh at how wild Minji looked.</p>
<p>Minji was in her normal pajamas, but her hair looked like it had a life of its own as it went everywhere. It always looked like that when she couldn’t sleep and was tossing and turning. Bora smiled as she looked at her friend and quickly recapped the night before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What happened after you shot him? I just don’t remember anything. It’s like time froze for me…” Minji said before something slammed into her arm, causing Minji to jump as she shouted in pain. She turned around to a VERY angry Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“you did WHAT? And without me?” Yoohyeon asked as Minji looked at her with a guilty expression.</p>
<p>“I, well… yes… sorry…” Minji said as she looked up with puppy eyes at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“oh no, you can't use my own weapon against me! I'm still mad!” Yoohyeon said as she threw herself at Minji, giving the older girlfriend a crushingly strong hug.</p>
<p>“I thought you said you are still mad?” Minji asked and soon squeaked as Yoohyeon tightened the hug.</p>
<p>“I AM! But I'm also glad that you are ok…” Yoohyeon said softly as she held Minji.</p>
<p>“Please don’t try that again… and please don’t leave me out anymore…” Yoohyeon said softly startling Minji as she struggled to break free of Yoohyeon’s hug so that she could look at the younger girl, but Yoohyeon tucked her face into Minji’s neck and refused to face her.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to lose you…” Yoohyeon said softly as Minji and Bora heard sniffles. Minji instantly softened at that sound and slowly petted Yoohyeon trying to soothe the crying girl.</p>
<p>“ok, sorry to interrupt the cute moment, but Siyeon invited you to breakfast!” Bora said loudly. Yoohyeon’s head popped up.</p>
<p>“I'm up for food!” Yoohyeon said as Minji chuckled at her girlfriends change so quickly and just shook her head.</p>
<p>“alright. We will get ready and head right over…” Minji said as she shook her head and smiled at Bora. “see you in a couple of minutes!” Minji said as the door closed.</p>
<p>Bora soon walked over to Handong’s door and knocked. As she stood there, she thought of last night again<em>. ‘I really need to research more about this journal…’</em> Bora thought as she heard the door unlock and swing open.</p>
<p>“morning!” Bora said as Handong peaked out nervously. Quickly Bora helped her remember, and soon, Handong was rushing inside to get ready for breakfast.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the door closed, Bora quickly called Dami and Gahyeon to invite them as well. Just like Minji and Bora, Dami sounded like she didn’t sleep well, and once Bora helped her remember the night before, Dami got quiet.</p>
<p>“We need to talk about last night… I think we need to tell everyone what we tried to do… Gahyeon is going to kill me…” Dami said as Bora chuckled.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon already found out on accident and smacked the crap out of Minji’s arm,” Bora said as she laughed, but Dami only sighed.</p>
<p>“you forget that Gahyeon is Siyeon’s sister…” Dami said, and Bora stopped laughing right away.</p>
<p>“ouch, good point. We will mourn your death…” Bora said jokingly as Dami laughed.</p>
<p>“well, you seem to be feeling better. After the last couple of resets, you were starting to worry us… you seemed… darker, angrier.” Dami said as Bora sighed.</p>
<p>“yeah, I realized it this morning. I need to thank whoever I talked to last night for helping me snap out of it…” Bora said as Dami made a confused noise.</p>
<p>“I will explain later, I promise…” Bora said as she prayed that they wouldn’t think she was losing it.</p>
<p>“I will message you where we are going. And I miss my bike…” Bora said, slightly whining at the end. Dami couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head as she hung up the phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Siyeon and Bora were waiting for Minji and Yoohyeon when a soft knock was heard at the door. Siyeon stopped what she was doing and looked at the door. She knew both Minji and Yoohyeon were loud knockers and looked at the door with a confused expression as Bora smiled. She knew exactly who was at the door as she opened it to reveal Handong.</p>
<p>“I hope you don’t mind, babe. I ran into Handong outside and invited her to breakfast too!” Bora said as Handong smiled and nodded shyly.</p>
<p>“oh no, not at all!” Siyeon said as her expression went from shock to extreme delight. Siyeon looked at Bora excitedly as the smaller girl gave a smile back.</p>
<p>Shortly after, the door swung open as Yoohyeon and Minji entered.</p>
<p>“of course you wouldn’t knock…” Bora said as she rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“what? It's not like you weren't expecting us. And if we walked in on you two doing something, then it's your fault for doing something when you were expecting someone!” Yoohyeon teased as Minji just shook her head.</p>
<p>Everyone could feel that Yoohyeon was going to be a handful today as they shook their heads.</p>
<p>After deciding on where to go, the group traveled to a restaurant around the corner from Eunwoo’s café where they enjoyed a nice breakfast as she girls smiled and chatted with each other. Bora couldn’t help but notice how happy Siyeon seemed.</p>
<p><em>‘we need to do this more often. I know she feels lonely easily. I love seeing her this happy…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she smiled softly at Siyeon. Seeing Siyeon, this happy made Bora’s heart ache with happiness as she smiled at everyone.</p>
<p>Once breakfast was over, the group went over to Eunwoo’s café and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere. After some time, Siyeon said it was time for her to head to the practice rooms, Bora walked her outside and hugged her goodbye before giving Siyeon a kiss that left her breathless.</p>
<p>“what was that for?” Siyeon asked as she smiled goofily.</p>
<p>“I'm already missing you, and you haven’t even left yet…” Bora said as she pouted.</p>
<p>“go now before I change my mind and kidnap you back to our apartment!” Bora teased as Siyeon laughed and shook her head at her dorky girlfriend and waved goodbye one last time before walking to her practice rooms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once Bora walked in, the relaxing atmosphere vanished as she held up a small memory card.</p>
<p>“Dami, did you bring your laptop?” Bora asked as the younger girl nodded and started digging through her bag for her laptop.</p>
<p>“oh no…don’t you even do anything until you tell me and the others that YOU LEFT OUT what happened!” Yoohyeon shouted loudly, causing the three guilty girls to cringe at the shocked looks of the other girls.</p>
<p>“you did something without us? You didn’t remind us either?” Handong asked, sounding hurt as she looked at Bora.</p>
<p>“yes… we didn’t want to make you three accomplices… so we decided to do it just the three of us…” Bora said as Handong’s eyes went wide, and Gahyeon looked confused. Yoohyeon just looked mad as she continued to glare at Minji.</p>
<p>“accomplices… does that mean you tried to do what I'm thinking?” Handong asked as she raised a brow, and Bora could only look at her hands as she nodded.</p>
<p>“wait, you WHAT?!?” Gahyeon shouted once she caught on. Her shriek startled Eunwoo and Moonbin behind the counter as they jumped and almost dropped what they were carrying before casually walking away like nothing happened.</p>
<p>“well, who died this time?” Handong asked as she looked at the three, but both Minji and Dami looked to Bora for answers.</p>
<p>“wouldn’t that be this Sanha guy?” Dami asked as she looked at Bora.</p>
<p>“wait… so you mean we can't kill him, or it resets?” Handong asked, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“I know you are not going to believe this… but the journal intervened. Or some girl tied to the journal… I don’t know I'm so confused…” Bora said frustratedly as she ruffled her hair and flopped down on the table.</p>
<p>“well, how about we start from the beginning then?” Handong asked as Bora nodded and sighed as she sat back up.</p>
<p>“well, the last repeat you remember was the concert. We found out that night that the stalker was Sanha after he shot Dami and wounded Moonbin-“ Bora was interrupted by the sound of a plate breaking as she turned around to see Eunwoo with a blank expression on his face.</p>
<p>Moonbin looked startled and rushed over with a dustpan to clean up the broken plate as he looked at Eunwoo worriedly.</p>
<p>Eunwoo stood there for a couple of seconds as his memories came flooding back to him, and soon, he was staggering backward in shock. Moonbin noticed something was off and caught his friend as he led him to the nearest chair that happened to be Siyeon’s empty seat.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo, what's wrong?” Moonbin asked as he looked at his friend with a worried expression as he felt his forehead for a fever.</p>
<p>Dami looked over to Gahyeon, who was smirking mischievously and rolled her eyes. “no matchmaking!” Dami hissed as Gahyeon rolled her eyes and ignored her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“can you please repeat that again?” Eunwoo asked as Bora shook her head.</p>
<p><em>‘well, this isn’t how I wanted to tell him… but too late now…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she sighed and repeated her statement earlier.</p>
<p>This time it was Moonbin who was in shock as he looked over to Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“you remember it now too, don’t you? Every time they came in on different days that happened to be the same day?” Eunwoo asked as Moonbin nodded as he looked at the girls with a wide-eyed expression.</p>
<p>“how?” Moonbin asked as he looked at the girls as they shrugged.</p>
<p>“it all happened when Bora bought a journal for Siyeon. She came home several days later to find Siyeon dead in their apartment… After the funeral, Bora finally returned to her apartment and found Siyeon’s journal…” Minji said as she trailed off and looked at Bora worriedly.</p>
<p>“it's ok, go on…” Bora said as she sighed and looked down at her drink.</p>
<p>“almost all of Siyeon’s entries mentioned a stalker. In the end, the stalker killed her while Bora was at a reunion. Bora crossed out several entries in a moment of grief and wrote in the journal. After that, the week repeats if one of us dies or we can’t save Siyeon…” Minji said, and the boys looked to Bora in disbelief, but she nodded, telling them it was true.</p>
<p>“so, you can just repeat the week an unlimited number of times?” Eunwoo asked, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“There are pages that disappear from the back of the journal every time it resets. I think it's like a countdown to when we fail. If we don’t stop this stalker by the time the missing pages connect with the ones that we wrote on, we fail, and Siyeon is lost for good…” Bora said as her chest tightened in panic just at mentioning it.</p>
<p>“Are we really sure it is Sanha? Sweet little Sanha?” Moonbin asked as Eunwoo looked at him blankly.</p>
<p>“you remember the night of the concert. He even shot at us… he's not the same person we were friends with…” Eunwoo said as he sighed.</p>
<p>It all was hard to take in. first the repeating and now the idea that the one he trusted most could possibly be the one that took his fiancé away from him… it was all too much for him to believe with proof.</p>
<p>“Moonbin, how do you feel?” Dami asked as Moonbin winced, reaching for something.</p>
<p>“I hurt, but I don’t know why…” Moonbin said as Eunwoo looked at him worriedly.</p>
<p>“We think it’s the journal's way of proving to us that what we experienced is real. It fades in a couple of hours, but it matches the wounds you got from the last repeat you remember.” Dami said as Moonbin nodded and massaged his hurting arm.</p>
<p>“Do we have any proof besides the repeats? What if it changed? What if we are wrong, and Sanha was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?” Eunwoo asked as he looked at everyone. They only gave sympathetic looks at him as he turned to Moonbin. It was now Eunwoo’s turn to be in denial.</p>
<p>“how do you explain him having a gun and shooting at us, Eunwoo?” Moonbin asked softly as he frowned.</p>
<p>“you went back to help save Dami, you don’t know how crazy he sounded as he attacked me. He could recognize it was me, so he wasn’t completely out of it and still tried to kill me, Eunwoo…” Moonbin said as Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“but there weren’t any signs of this when we were younger! It just doesn’t hit you all of a sudden, does it?” Eunwoo asked as the table went quiet for a minute before Moonbin spoke again.</p>
<p>“maybe there were signs. We just didn’t notice them. You know we always babied him because his family was so horrible. It’s what made all of us become police officers…” Moonbin said as he watched Eunwoo slump in his chair.</p>
<p>“Also, do you remember Sanha’s first girlfriend?” Moonbin asked with an expression on his face that worried the girls.</p>
<p>“the one that died?” Eunwoo asked, and Moonbin nodded.</p>
<p>“you remember how everyone was grief-stricken but him? He seemed completely unphased, and we just thought that he was in denial? What if that wasn’t the case?” Moonbin asked as Eunwoo looked over at Moonbin in shock.</p>
<p>“you don’t seriously think that Sanha killed her, do you?” Eunwoo asked, and Moonbin only nodded.</p>
<p>“We found out on the night that she died she was cheating on Sanha…” Moonbin said as the girls nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“But we only found out that night, how could Sanha know?” Eunwoo asked as Moonbin shook his head.</p>
<p>“We never told you because we knew that you would do something stupid, but Sanha’s father was part of one of the biggest gangs in the area at the time. He would force Sanha to do tasks for the gang. They would even send him into girl’s dressing rooms to place cameras for their porn sites. Do you remember the day before yearbook photos?” Moonbin asked as Eunwoo nodded. He didn’t like where this was going.</p>
<p>“Sanha refused to do something for the gang, it wasn’t his father that beat him that day but the gang. I lied that day when I brought Sanha to your house because I knew you would try to do something stupid like taking on a whole gang by yourself…” Moonbin said as Eunwoo looked on in shock.</p>
<p>“so that’s how he got into the cameras. He was taught at a young age. Your thinking that he knew his girlfriend was cheating because he placed cameras around her?” Dami asked as Moonbin nodded.</p>
<p>“if so, then that makes that girl his first victim then his father… Eunwoo’s fiancé and now Siyeon, right?” Minji asked as everyone looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“his father? I thought he got caught up in gang activity and got killed?” Moonbin said, but Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“Bora, did you bring the flash drive with that memory card?” Dami asked as Bora nodded and reached inside her pocket and pulled out the flash drive that held everything that they found out the night before.</p>
<p>“look here…” Dami said as she pointed at the autopsy report of Sanha’s father. Everyone leaned in as they read it. But only the boys noticed what she was pointing at.</p>
<p>“there was hesitation causing a messy stab wound… so the person that did it wasn’t a cold-blooded killer…” Eunwoo said as he read the report and shook his head.</p>
<p>“How did you get this?” Moonbin asked as Bora’s eyes went wide, and Dami looked away.</p>
<p>“We know someone who has connections…” Dami said as she looked away.</p>
<p>“by someone, do you mean you?” Eunwoo asked softly as he looked at Dami. The girl looked guilty, and soon Gahyeon was hugging her protectively.</p>
<p>“she’s not a criminal! You can't blame her for what her family does!” Gahyeon said protectively, and Eunwoo couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>“I'm not blaming her for anything. I just noticed that she seemed to know a lot about spying, more so than a bodyguard would know. I was wondering about it for a while now…” Eunwoo said as he smiled at Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“yes, but you are a police officer…” Gahyeon said as she was accidentally smothering Dami with her hug. The older girl was starting to flail around a bit before Gahyeon released her grip, causing Dami to gasp for breath.</p>
<p>“I WAS a police officer. I'm not anymore. And besides, I wouldn’t do anything that would hurt a friend.” Eunwoo said as he smiled at Gahyeon. She felt a little better as she smiled shyly back. Both ignored Dami’s gasps as Minji and Yoohyeon giggled at the overdramatic girl.</p>
<p>Bora, however, was struggling internally. <em>‘should I show them the video? Or is it too early?’</em> Bora wondered as she started to bite her lip in thought.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Moonbin asked as he looked at Bora, who seemed torn between something. Bora sighed as she held up the small memory card.</p>
<p>“We have footage from the last repeat when I did something stupid… but I don’t know if you should see it, Eunwoo… you too, Handong…” Bora said as Eunwoo looked at her in shock before looking at Moonbin in worry.</p>
<p>“well how about this, I will look at it and see if I think they should see it or not?” Moonbin asked, and Bora nodded in agreement as she handed the memory card to Dami hesitantly.</p>
<p>Once the footage and photos were pulled up, Moonbin gasped as he looked at what Dami was showing him. The wall of photos that showed every girl, including Eunwoo’s fiancé, startled him. It was true stalker behavior, and Moonbin could feel his heart sink. He knew that the stalker was Sanha, but it's another thing to see the evidence.</p>
<p>“it’s the last photo…” Bora said softly, and as soon as Dami pulled it up, she and Moonbin swore. Moonbin, who was leaning over the back of Dami’s chair for a look, stood up as he let out a string of curses and paced around while Dami swore as she tensed her jaw. She was staring at the urn of Eunwoo’s fiancé in the glass. The lock of hair had to be from her as well, and it made Dami’s blood boil.</p>
<p><em>‘he took her fucking ashes!?!’</em> Dami thought to herself as she looked over to Bora and Minji. They nodded, telling her it looked like it was the original, and she couldn’t think straight due to her anger.</p>
<p>“well? Can we look at it?” Handong asked. Dami looked at Moonbin questioningly. The two gave nervous stares back at each other.</p>
<p>“I don’t think you should see it… but I also think you have the right to know…” Moonbin said with a sigh as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“I agree… but it is not going to be an easy thing to deal with…” Dami said as she looked at Handong.</p>
<p>The girl steeled herself as she swallowed nervously and slowly walked around to Dami’s computer.</p>
<p>Once Handong looked at the screen, she went pale as her eyes went wide. Bora stood up worriedly and walked over to the girl and held her for support. Just in time, too, as Handong started to feel dizzy. Bora slowly walked Handong over to her chair as Eunwoo ran to get her something cool to drink.</p>
<p>“is it that bad?” Eunwoo asked as he handed Handong the drink. She could only nod weakly.</p>
<p>“How bad?”  Eunwoo asked nervously as he noticed tears appearing in Handong’s eyes.</p>
<p>“little Eunbin is all alone right now…” Handong whispered as Eunwoo’s eyes went wide as he stood up straight and walked over to the computer. He hesitated slightly as he closed his eyes, praying it wasn’t as bad as he thought.</p>
<p>As Eunwoo opened his eyes and looked at the screen, there was the urn of his fiancé not with his unborn daughter but in a display case like a trophy.</p>
<p>Eunwoo could feel his blood run cold as he looked at Moonbin, who seemed to be struggling with this news as well. The two made eye contact, and Eunwoo had to admit it. The stalker was Sanha. They have proof.</p>
<p>“We need to get my baby's mother back…” Eunwoo said coldly as he looked over to Bora.</p>
<p>“you want to lure him out to catch him, right? You also know where this is, right?” Eunwoo asked coldly as Bora nodded nervously.</p>
<p>“we go tonight and take my fiancé back. Pick up Eunbin’s urn so that it's safe, then… you take the fake urn and taunt him in front of his beloved cameras. We WILL catch him…” Eunwoo said as he looked at Moonbin.</p>
<p>“you are not going to try to kill him, are you?” Gahyeon asked weakly, but Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“death is too quick. I want him to suffer in a tiny cell for the rest of his life. I also don’t want to turn into a criminal just like him. We will go by the law…” Eunwoo said as he turned around and quickly closed the café.</p>
<p>“Dami, do you have any ideas on how to get in?” Eunwoo asked with a brow raised as she scoffed.</p>
<p>“you seem to think I'm a criminal…” Dami said as she faked being offended.</p>
<p>“But yes, I can get us in. I would prefer to have him out of the place just in case that display case is set with an alarm, though…” Dami said as she looked at Bora and smirked.</p>
<p>“does the little angry birdie feel like going for a ride?” Dami asked as Bora smirked.</p>
<p>“always!” Bora said as her eyes lit up excitedly.</p>
<p>“well, I guess I will have more gear to ask my uncle for…” Dami said as she looked at Eunwoo and Moonbin.</p>
<p>“I'm tired of us getting cut and stabbed all the time. Either of you knows how to ride a motorcycle?” Dami asked with a brow raised as Moonbin raised his hand nervously.</p>
<p>“Perfect!” Dami said with a smirk. She obviously had something in mind, and It made everyone nervous.</p>
<p>“I think we need to get the others over here and tell everything that happened yesterday before we start to plan everything out,” Bora said as she looked at Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. They are still officers…” Eunwoo said as he thought about it.</p>
<p>“yes, but you will need the help of the police if he is to be caught.” Dami said and hesitated before continuing. “and he has the gang protection mark, so officers you don’t know, and trust may do nothing…” Dami said as she looked up at Eunwoo and Moonbin nervously.</p>
<p>“and how do you know that?” Eunwoo asked as Dami looked over to Bora nervously.</p>
<p>“look, call the others here, and I will tell you… just please don’t be mad with me. I wasn’t at my best mentally…” Bora said as she looked away.</p>
<p>“While you do that, I'm going to message my uncle about the gear. Oh, Moonbin? do you have a measuring tape nearby?” Dami asked, and Moonbin went off to fetch it.</p>
<p>After several minutes of awkward touching as Dami took Moonbin’s measurements, they finally had what her uncle needed, and soon, they were just waiting for the others to arrive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After about an hour, the others arrived one at a time, looking confused. Eunwoo had called them, stating that it was an emergency, and they rushed over, but everything looked too calm for an emergency.</p>
<p>Jinwoo slowly walked up and sat where Eunwoo indicated as he stared from girl to girl before giving Eunwoo and Moonbin confused looks.</p>
<p>“So, what's the emergency?” Jinwoo asked as he looked at the girls, but Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>We are waiting for everyone to get here first. We don’t want to explain this more than once…” Eunwoo said darkly. Jinwoo looked at Moonbin questioningly, but the taller one just frowned sadly and shook his head.</p>
<p><em>‘ok… whatever this is, it must be serious…’</em> Jinwoo thought to himself as he waited awkwardly. He didn’t want to stare at the girls and creep them out so he would look AROUND them and then at his two friends.</p>
<p>Jinwoo was so relieved when the door dinged again, and Minhyuk walked in. After a short explanation of wait and see again. But now, both Minhyuk and Jinwoo were looking everywhere but at the girls as they sat in awkward silence.</p>
<p>“finally…” Eunwoo said as MJ slowly walked inside the store with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“um, what did I miss?” MJ asked as everyone looked at him.</p>
<p>“pull up a chair… we have a long story ahead…” Eunwoo said as MJ followed his instructions and sat down nervously.</p>
<p>“Bora?” Eunwoo asked softly. Bora sighed as she leaned forward and started to explain the repeating. The boys were stunned as their memories came back.</p>
<p>“all of these things… all of these deaths… they were all one person?” Jinwoo asked seriously. Eunwoo just nodded, and the room grew silent.</p>
<p>“I asked you all here to ask for help. I know I have asked you this before… but this time, I'm telling you everything…” Bora said as her throat tightened.</p>
<p>“Siyeon is my everything. She's my whole world, and she was ripped out of my life one night… I now have the chance to redo it and fix it. But I'm told I can't do this alone. I'm going against fate…” Bora said as her eyes started to feel moist.</p>
<p>“Siyeon doesn’t deserve this. She is the kindest softest person I have ever met, and I have lost her twice already. I have held her cold and lifeless body in my arms both times…” Bora’s voice cracked as her emotions tried to get the better of her.</p>
<p>“Please help me… I know that this is a hard thing for me to ask you because… because the killer was once your friend. But if anyone could help stop him and maybe stop this without anyone dying, maybe it is all of you…” Bora said as she looked at the three.</p>
<p>They were shocked and had to look to Eunwoo and Moonbin for verification if what they heard was true.</p>
<p>“We know them? Who?” Minhyuk asked cautiously as he looked at Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“I think it’s time for you to tell your part…” Bora said as she looked at Eunwoo with a comforting smile. Eunwoo smiled back weakly as he took a deep breath.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“the person that killed my fiancé also killed Siyeon, and we now know who it is… and you won't believe it when you hear it…” Eunwoo said. The three looked at each other in shock.</p>
<p>“who is it? Who would do something so horrible to you?” Jinwoo asked as Eunwoo frowned. It was difficult for him to say. Eunwoo was still having a hard time accepting it himself, so he looked at Moonbin pleadingly.</p>
<p>“its Sanha… it's really Sanha…” Moonbin said as the eyes of the three went wide with shock.</p>
<p>“you have to be joking, right?” Jinwoo asked as he laughed nervously. “This is just some prank, right?” he asked again as he shook his head in shock.</p>
<p>“it turns out Bora Siyeon and all of you have a weird fate together…” Dami said as she opened her laptop and showed the yearbook photos.</p>
<p>“you all went to the same school. Also, Sanha had a crush on Bora and would follow her around at times…” Dami said as she showed everyone the info.</p>
<p>When Dami turned to Bora’s yearbook photo, the boys recognized her right away. They remembered Sanha really had a big crush on her. It was true.</p>
<p>“Your fates with him seemed to tangle together after here. Bora, tell them about your accident…” Dami said, and now all eyes were on Bora.</p>
<p>“it was around graduation. I can't remember if it was before or after, but I was riding my bike when someone came out of nowhere in a car and tried to run me off the road. They succeeded, and I ended up in the hospital… yesterday we encountered Sanha in a car, and he tried to run me off of the road in the same exact way. That means one of two things…” Bora said as she looked at the boys.</p>
<p>“either the one who ran me off the road taught Sanha… or it was Sanha both times. There was no hesitation, and it seemed like he did this before. The only way I was able to escape was because it was EXACTLY the same…” Bora said as Yoohyeon looked at her with a confused look.</p>
<p>“he tried to run your car off the road yesterday?” Yoohyeon asked. Minji looked at Bora nervously but nodded to Bora, telling her to continue. Minji was ready to be smacked by her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“We set up a plan yesterday. Dami helped us get a couple of motorcycles, and we acted like delivery drivers as we tracked down his address…” Bora said as Yoohyeon looked at Minji.</p>
<p>“you? You rode a motorcycle?” Yoohyeon asked in shock.</p>
<p>“Why are you so shocked? You knew that Bora used to ride and tried teaching me before!” Minji said as she sulked.</p>
<p>“yeah, and I also remember Bora saying it was hopeless trying to teach you!” Yoohyeon said as Dami snickered.</p>
<p>“Actually, she’s like a natural now. And with all the leather, she looks like a real biker girl!” Dami said, trying to help her friend and instead flustered Yoohyeon as she tried imagining Minji on a motorcycle in all leather.</p>
<p>“babe, your drooling…” Minji said as she smirked and leaned in to peck Yoohyeon on the lips snapping the girl out of her daydream.</p>
<p>“proof. I need proof…” Yoohyeon said as she blushed. Everyone laughed, and the mood lightened slightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So why were you looking for his address? Once you found him, then what?” Handong asked as she looked at Bora suspiciously.</p>
<p>“We tried to find him to… kill him…” Bora said as everyone gasped and looked at each other.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry I know it was stupid… and I'm sorry for dragging Dami and Minji into it… because of me, you two would have become murders…” Bora said, but Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“you don’t know that…” Dami said but went silent as Bora looked up at her sadly.</p>
<p>“Actually, I do… when you two came back in, and I pulled the trigger… something happened, and I don’t know how to explain it…” Bora said as Dami and Minji looked at her with confused expressions. They don’t remember anything after that moment.</p>
<p>“What happened?” Minji asked. Bora sighed and pulled out the journal that she grabbed while they were waiting for the three to arrive.</p>
<p>“the journal intervened. It, SHE stopped me…” Bora said as everyone looked at her like she was crazy.</p>
<p>“she?” Handong asked curiously. Bora just nodded as she opened the book to show the missing pages in the back.</p>
<p>“she told me that she had to stop me, or the spell of the journal would be broken. I would have successfully stopped Sanha, but became a murder in the end and would still lose Siyeon. Gahyeon and Yoohyeon would also lose their girlfriends too. We would be found guilty of murder… and to stop me used a lot of strength,” Bora said as she pointed at the missing pages. The girls looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“how do you know this for sure?” Gahyeon asked as she looked at Bora worriedly.</p>
<p>“she showed it to me. Siyeon would blame herself for our being found guilty and falls into a depression and… never comes out…” Bora said as she looked apologetically at Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“you especially know how soft Siyeon is…” Bora says as tears streak down her cheeks. Gahyeon walks around to hold Bora as she cries.</p>
<p>“I still don’t know how the journal is a she…” Handong said as she looked at the journal on the table.</p>
<p>“I don’t know either, but it was a feminine voice for sure,” Bora said as she looked at Handong.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry for trying something so stupid… I promise I won't do it again. I don’t want to lose ANYONE… can you please help me?” Bora asked as she looked at the boys pleadingly.</p>
<p>They didn’t know what to say, this would sound like a fairy tale or something if it wasn’t for the memories that they now could recall.</p>
<p>“there's something else…” Eunwoo said as he sat up, looking at the three seriously.</p>
<p>“he has my fiancé’s ashes… I don’t know how or when… but while the girls were there yesterday, they got photos of it. There was what looks like some of her hair too…” Eunwoo said as MJ sat up straighter.</p>
<p>“hair? Was it about this long and this thick?” MJ asked as he showed the length with his hands as Eunwoo and the girls nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, why?” Dami asked as MJ flopped into his seat, looking defeated.</p>
<p>“The night she was murdered, the killer took a trophy, a lock of her hair. If it really matches your fiancé, then Sanha really is the killer…” MJ said as he looked at his friends.</p>
<p>“it's really him…” Jinwoo whispered in disbelief as Dami turned the photo to the others.</p>
<p>“Eunbin is all alone… she has been for who knows how long… we need to get her mother back… tonight.” Eunwoo said as he stood. The three looked up at him and nodded seriously.</p>
<p>“were in, what do you need us to do?” Minhyuk asked as he looked at everyone intently.</p>
<p>“We need a distraction that will get him out of his apartment. While he is out, we break in and get her urn…” Eunwoo said as he looked at the others.</p>
<p>“you are not expecting US to do the breaking and entering, are you?” Minhyuk asked as he pointed at Jinwoo and MJ. Eunwoo shook his head as Dami raised her hand.</p>
<p>“I can get them in. you just need to keep him distracted…” Dami said as all eyes were on her.</p>
<p>“Just remember, he is unpredictable. He is mentally unstable, and it seems to only have gotten worse after he was exempt from the military…” MJ said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“We know, thank you for the info on that. It really helped.” Dami said as MJ smiled.</p>
<p>“So, when does this start?” Jinwoo asked as Dami’s phone chirped.</p>
<p>“once the gear arrives. And that will be any minute…” Dami said as she watched seven bikes pulling up outside, followed by a black van.</p>
<p>“Remember, this has nothing to do with my family…” Dami said as she looked at the officers threateningly.</p>
<p>“he is helping us, and everything is paid for. He is also my family…” Dami said as she looked at the three seriously. They nodded and promised her as she walked outside to greet her uncle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“thank you!”  Dami said cutely as she and Gahyeon waved goodbye to her uncle and started carrying the heavy boxes inside. The boys rushed over as they helped them bring in the supplies.</p>
<p>What is all of this? you starting a motorcycle gang?” Moonbin asked as Dami chuckled.</p>
<p>“well, kinda?” she said as she smiled and started handing out the gear to everyone.</p>
<p>Bora and Minji hugged their gear excitedly. Who knew that they would miss them so much? Bora even missed the little purple bird on the back.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon, what’s yours?” Minji asked as Gahyeon laughed at the back and turned it around to show a graffiti fox on the back.</p>
<p>“that’s so you, babe,” Dami said as she kissed Gahyeon and continued to look through their gear.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon? What's yours?” Minji asked as she squealed and showed a little brown fuzzball of a puppy.</p>
<p>“ok, that’s just adorable.  There is nothing intimidating about that at all…” Minji said as Dami laughed.</p>
<p>“ok, maybe he just sees Bora as always angry then?” Dami asked as Bora huffed.</p>
<p>“mines a cat!” Handong said as she showed a very sarcastic looking cat on the back.</p>
<p>“oh, look, they even have her expression perfectly!” Yoohyeon said as Handong raised a brow at her.</p>
<p>“see! That one right there!” Yoohyeon said as the others laughed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Moonbin didn’t know what to do with the box in front of him as he slowly started going through it. Everything was overwhelming, but as he started pulling things out, he froze there in the box was a black dog on the back of a jacket that fit him perfectly. It looked intimidating, and he liked it right away as he gently pulled it out of the box so that he could get a better look at it.</p>
<p>“why a black dog?” Jinwoo asked as he looked at the jacket.</p>
<p>“I chose it. It symbolizes depression. What took Siyeon from us last time was depression. Well, this black dog is now on our side.” Gahyeon said as she looked at Moonbin as he nodded.</p>
<p>“turn a bad into a good while not forgetting what happened…” Moonbin said as Gahyeon smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>“well, now all we need to do is decide what to do for the distraction…” Eunwoo said as he watched Moonbin try on the gear intently.</p>
<p>Gahyeon glanced at Dami, who rolled her eyes and raised her hands in defeat.</p>
<p>“Any ideas?” Moonbin asked as he looked at the others once he was dressed.</p>
<p>“nice…” Minji said as she admired the gear. It was all black except for small red accents here and there, including the stitching. It fit him perfectly, and he could move without it feeling too bulky.</p>
<p>“This is amazing!” Moonbin said as Dami smirked.</p>
<p>“it is knife resistant. It’s a special material that is resistant to a lot of damage, making it perfect for us to wear until he is caught. Also, the helmets are bulletproof with neck support so that it won't just snap your neck if he shoots the helmet.” Dami said as Moonbin reached for his throat nervously.</p>
<p>“ok, I have thought of a plan…” Bora said as she looked at Moonbin.</p>
<p>“but it all depends on your driving skills. Up for a race?” Bora challenged as Moonbin smirked.</p>
<p>“always…” Moonbin said as they exchanged confident expressions.</p>
<p>“let's do it then!” Bora said as they walked outside.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. A Race Against Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>So, what's your plan?” Dami asked as Bora geared up for their race.</p>
<p>“to win, of course!” Bora said as Dami rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“that’s not what I meant, but ok…” Dami said as she rolled her eyes at Bora.</p>
<p>“I meant the plan to lure him away…” Dami said as Bora understood and nodded.</p>
<p>“oh, I plan on using Moonbin as bait. If he can handle keeping up with me and not smash into a wall, he may be able to outrun Sanha to keep him busy. Also, it helps to have the police involved. They can block the roads, so we don’t have to worry about a random car coming in and pulling a Minji.” Bora said as Dami nodded. She liked it.</p>
<p>“but will the boys be up for it? I mean, they may lose their jobs if they are caught…” Dami said as Bora frowned.</p>
<p>“true, but they will also probably be rewarded if Sanha is caught. If news breaks about all that he has done, it will be a big deal.” Bora said with a smile.</p>
<p>“you are planning to release it to the press so that the boys get recognition, aren’t you?” Dami asked as Bora smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>“Just remember it could backfire. They could say that it was friends that had a vendetta against the stalker and that they disregarded their own work to go after something personal…” Dami said as Bora pouted.</p>
<p>“you know, you always know how to pop my happiness bubble, you know that?” Bora said as she frowned.</p>
<p>“well, we will figure something out later. We can't let them get in trouble because of me…” Bora said, but Dami stopped her.</p>
<p>“because of US. We are ALL in this together…” Dami corrected Bora as the shorter girl smiled.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, how could I forget…” Bora said as she slid on her gloves and leaned down to pull on her boots.</p>
<p>Dami rolled her eyes as she looked at Bora, who was gearing up for the race. It looked like a bunch of teens gearing up for a street race, and Dami couldn’t help but shake her head, knowing that the police were there with them to see the winner.</p>
<p>“ok, so I just checked to see if there are any blocked roads at the moment. There is going to be roadwork over here…” Jinwoo said as he pointed to a map.</p>
<p>“This means from here… to here… is safe to race. No people should be there either due to most of it being industrial…” Jinwoo said as the two nodded.</p>
<p>“Remember, we will NOT help you get out of a ticket, so no speeding until the blocked off area, ok?” Minhyuk asked as Bora and Moonbin nodded obediently.</p>
<p>Dami couldn’t help but smirk, knowing that there was no way in hell that Bora would go the speed limit. She didn’t drive as fast as she used to due to the accident, but Bora was impulsive and a little reckless. It worried Dami that something may happen to the smaller girl.</p>
<p>“Please be careful… Gahyeon and Siyeon will kill me if you get hurt on a bike that I gave you…” Dami said as Bora smiled and hugged Dami.</p>
<p>“I promise that everything will be fine!” Bora said as she flipped her visor down on her helmet and started her bike. Moonbin was waiting and ready, and so was Bora. There was nothing Dami could do about her worries, so she shoved them down as she smiled at the two.</p>
<p>“alright. I will be at the end to see who finishes, Gahyeon will be at the start to give you the signal once I'm in position. Ok?” Dami asked as the two nodded.</p>
<p>“alright… let's go then…” Dami said as she and Gahyeon hopped on their bikes, and everyone headed to the location indicated by Jinwoo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora called Moonbin once they were in position once the Bluetooth helmet was connected.</p>
<p>“Moonbin, can you hear me clearly?” Bora asked as she glanced to her right as they waited for the signal. Moonbin nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, I can hear you. Everything alright?” Moonbin asked as he glanced at Bora.</p>
<p>“I'm going to be driving very aggressively. My plan is for you to be able to handle his tricks as he chases after you safely without getting hurt as the others sneak in. That means you have to be able to drive defensively and avoid him as he tries to run you off of the road. You ready for this?” Bora asked nervously as Moonbin nodded.</p>
<p>“I was a motorcycle officer for a couple of years. The first thing that they try to do when I would chase them would be to try to run me off of the road. I may be a bit rusty, so I'm up for the practice.” Moonbin said confidently as Bora smiled.</p>
<p><em>‘Maybe this will go better than expected…’</em> Bora thought to herself as they both turned to face Gahyeon as they waited for the signal.</p>
<p>Finally, Dami was in position, and Gahyeon raised her arms, getting the attention of the two.</p>
<p>3…2…1… soon Gahyeon flung her arms down, and the two were off as they zipped by Gahyeon and down the road.</p>
<p>Bora eyed Moonbin as he raced. He was very stable and confident as he rode. <em>‘well, let's see if I can shake him up a bit…’ </em>Bora thought as she started getting closer.</p>
<p>At first, the girl didn’t try anything too reckless. She would just get closer to him. But Moonbin was unphased as he would dodge smoothly and swerve back, making Bora back off and giving himself more room.</p>
<p>Bora was impressed. He obviously was confident in his riding, but it was now time to push him. Bora started going over the way Sanha tried to run her off of the road and soon put it into motion.</p>
<p>Bora accelerated as she aimed at the rear of his bike. Moonbin quickly accelerated to put some distance from Bora, and soon the game began. The two were speeding down the abandoned streets as she drove aggressively. Occasionally Moonbin would have a close call, but once he experienced it once, he was able to dodge it after.</p>
<p>They were almost to the end where a big turn was waiting. It made Bora remember the night she was run off the road. It was a sharp turn just like this one, and soon her heartbeat sped up as she felt herself start to panic.</p>
<p><em>‘seriously, Bora… you have been through this before you are fine…’</em> Bora tried to tell herself, but the panic was rising.</p>
<p>Moonbin noticed that Bora’s speed started to slow, and she seemed to be struggling.</p>
<p>“hey, Bora? Bora!” Moonbin shouted, but the smaller girl wasn’t listening. Moonbin slowed to a stop right before the turn. He quickly turned around to see Bora slowly creeping by as her bike wobbled.</p>
<p>Bora was clutching her chest, and Moonbin’s heart dropped. Quickly he pulled out his cell and dialed Dami.</p>
<p>“what's wrong? Did one of you wreck?” Dami asked worriedly as she looked for them.</p>
<p>“no, somethings wrong with Bora! She's clutching her chest and won't react to me when I call to her. She's going slow, but I'm worried!” Moonbin shouted as Dami looked at the phone with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“ok, stay with her! Don’t let her out of your sight just in case she panics and starts accelerating!” Dami said as she hung up the phone and dialed Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“So, who won?” Gahyeon asked right away as she smiled, but that soon faded as Dami explained what was happening.</p>
<p>“oh my god… I think she remembers her accident…” Gahyeon said as she clicked her visor down and hopped on her bike.</p>
<p>“I'm going after them. Call Eunwoo and tell him Bora may be having a panic attack. He seems to know what to do in situations like this. I'm heading her way now!” Gahyeon said as tires screeched.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Moonbin was following Bora on foot now. She was creeping just fast enough to keep the bike stable, but it was starting to wobble. Quickly Moonbin jumped in and turned off the bike as Bora started to slump forward across the bike. He could barely hold both Bora and the bike up, so he was grateful when the sound of Gahyeon’s bike was heard.</p>
<p>With Gahyeon’s help, they pulled Bora off of the bike and got her helmet off.</p>
<p>As Bora’s helmet came off, the girl gasped for air as she looked at the two with a dazed expression. Her hair was glued to her face from sweat, and she looked really pale.</p>
<p>“Bora, are you alright?” Gahyeon asked softly as she gently brushed the hair that clung to her face away. Bora could only weakly nod as she looked up at Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“what happened?” Bora asked weakly as she looked around. “and why am I on the ground?” Bora asked weakly as her breathing tried to slow.</p>
<p>“you had a panic attack. It seems something may have triggered your memories of your accident.” Gahyeon said as Bora looked surprised. She slowly nodded as bits of her memory came back.</p>
<p>“It was the turn… it was just like where I was knocked off my bike and went over the railing…” Bora said as she felt her heart rate picking up again.</p>
<p>“Bora… breathe, ok?” Gahyeon said as she gently stroked Bora’s face like she had seen Siyeon do. It had an instant calming effect as Bora closed her eyes and smiled.</p>
<p>“you learned this from Siyeon, didn’t you?” Bora asked as Gahyeon giggled and nodded as Bora’s eyes met hers.</p>
<p>“thank you…” Bora said softly as she smiled at Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“but you know… we seriously need to talk about your second life… a tattoo BEFORE ME. And motorcycles? Do you even have a license to drive it?” Bora asked as Gahyeon giggled and nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, I do. Dami taught me, and I passed the test with flying colors. Now, who’s cooler?” Gahyeon asked with a brow raised as she flashed the tattoo at Bora. The older girl huffed with a pout as Gahyeon laughed again.</p>
<p>“I'm guessing you are fine now seeing as your making jokes…” Dami said as she came into view with Eunwoo. He was on the back of Dami’s bike, and the height difference was adorable as both Gahyeon and Bora laughed.</p>
<p>“what?” Dami asked as she looked at the two.</p>
<p>“so tiny!” Bora said as she pointed at Dami.</p>
<p>“says the little birdy…” Dami said as she helped Eunwoo with the first aid kit.</p>
<p>“Just for that, give her some smelling salts! I still remember that smell as we went to that abandoned house! The car reeked all the way there!” Dami said with a smirk as Gahyeon shook her head.</p>
<p>“Actually, I was going to do just that. I want to make sure she’s completely awake before she gets back on her bike or on the back of one of ours.” Eunwoo said as Dami smiled while Bora looked horrified.</p>
<p>“I'm up! I'm awake!” Bora shouted as she tried to stand and felt dizzy as Gahyeon caught her.</p>
<p>“sure, you are…” Eunwoo said as he rolled his eyes and cracked open the tiny little packet and held it under Bora’s nose.</p>
<p>Her eyes went wide as she gagged and coughed.</p>
<p>“That shit is horrible!” Bora said as she looked at Gahyeon. Sadly, the younger girl was too close and got a nose full as well. Both of them had tears running from their eyes as they squinted at him and looked at Eunwoo, offended.</p>
<p>He couldn’t help but smirk as he turned away, but as he looked at Dami, who also was fighting back laughter, it was just too much as the two started laughing at their friends.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A couple of minutes later, Moonbin showed back up with cold water and something for Bora to eat.</p>
<p>“here…” Moonbin said as he handed Bora the cold water and a sandwich. She nodded gratefully as she opened it and poured some water into her mouth and sighed.</p>
<p> The cold water felt nice as she felt the chill of it go all the way down her throat. She sighed gratefully as she looked at Moonbin.</p>
<p>“I'm ok, I promise! I just had a mini freak out. The turn made me remember my accident. I'm surprised being chased by Sanha didn’t trigger it. I guess I was too worried for my life to think about the accident much, though…” Bora said as she smiled weakly at Moonbin.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry… we were friends with him at that time and didn’t know anything… if we were better friends, maybe we would have noticed the signs, and you would have never gotten into that accident…” Moonbin said as Eunwoo walked up.</p>
<p>Eunwoo couldn’t help but frown. It was true that there were signs that they missed, but even if they didn’t miss them, could they have really done something to stop Sanha? When they were younger, they babied him because of everything he had to deal with growing up.</p>
<p><em>‘I don’t think I could have stopped him back then. Locking him away… it's difficult now after everything he has done… how could I have done it as a teen?’</em> Eunwoo thought to himself as he walked over to the two.</p>
<p>“you don’t know what would have really happened, Moonbin… it could have been one of us that died trying to stop him, or we maybe wouldn’t have done anything… we were young and stupid. Could you imagine turning Sanha over to the police after seeing him beaten like that?” Eunwoo said as Moonbin frowned.</p>
<p>“I don’t know… but letting him hurt others just isn’t right…if he got help earlier, he might never have done any of this… we don’t know. I want to believe that Sanha will still be a good person and stop if we talk to him. But I remember him attacking me… I know its only a dream…” Moonbin said as he sighed.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have involved you…” Bora said, startling the two back to the situation.</p>
<p>“no, you were right to ask us for help. Who knows, maybe in a random moment of clarity he may stop all of this…” Eunwoo said as he held out his hand as Bora took it.</p>
<p>With a groan, Bora pulled herself up with Eunwoo’s help and looked at her bike.</p>
<p>“thank you for not letting my baby get scratched up,” Bora said as she looked at her bike. Moonbin smirked.</p>
<p>“I figured you would kill me if anything happened to it,” Moonbin said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“you know it!” Bora said with a smile.</p>
<p>“well, let's go back to the café and finish planning!” Bora said as she walked towards her bike, but Eunwoo walked in front of her.</p>
<p>“I will drive your bike back. You ride with Gahyeon. I don’t want any more accidents in one day.”<br/> Eunwoo said as Bora pouted and sulked over to Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“don’t feel too bad, it’s going to look hilarious as he rides your bike. It will look like a clown on a tricycle.” Gahyeon whispered as Bora snorted.</p>
<p>“Why the hell is it so small!” Eunwoo shouted as he hopped on the bike as the two smallest started laughing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-The Plan in Motion-</p>
<p>After the drive back to the café, the group sat down at the table and started to come up with a plan.</p>
<p>“So, how are we going to get him out of the apartment?” MJ asked as he looked at the others. Bora just smiled as she looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“yesterday, I went over to his house as a delivery driver. I dropped off a package with no return address. He got so paranoid he tried to take out a delivery driver that he didn’t know. Now imagine Mr. black dog here showing up to drop off a package with the name on the return address saying either my name or Eunwoo’s fiancés…” Bora said as everyone grew quiet.</p>
<p>“I don’t like using her name for this… but using your name would draw him right to you or Siyeon. also, I would love to see his reaction to this… wait… what if he opens the box to see a camera that’s recording him?” Eunwoo asked as he looks at the others.</p>
<p>“he would probably panic and go after the delivery driver to see who made him deliver it…” Dami said with a smirk as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“he wouldn’t let this go. He would NEED to chase after Moonbin. His paranoia wouldn’t allow him to do anything until he catches him.” Bora said as Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“now imagine if another bike shows up… he will have to choose only one bike to chase, and you know that it will kill him to let someone escape. So, no matter who he chooses, he will now be in a constant state of paranoia. And the last time something similar happened, he showed us who he really is, right?” MJ said as he looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“yes, but Siyeon died that night…” Bora said as a dark expression crossed her face.</p>
<p>“yes, but we have more numbers now. Dami, what about some of your family helping out?” Eunwoo asked as Dami looked up startled.</p>
<p>“We can't do anything to him. Remember, he’s protected.” Dami said, but Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“yes, I know that, but what about just getting a few of them to protect Siyeon’s apartment?” Eunwoo asked as he looked at Dami.</p>
<p>“wouldn’t their presence there be a little bit of a deterrent?” Moonbin asked as Dami thought to herself.</p>
<p>“There is an issue within my family. My parents don’t want me to take over the family business, and if I keep asking them to help, the others will say I need to take responsibility for the family and join them… I'm sorry. My uncle is the only one that really helps me without asking anything in return…” Dami said as she looked up apologetically.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to ask them. Her mother and father are amazing, but the rest are not and feel like Dami should take over soon. Its why she had to have me get the tattoo. Some of them threatened to use me against her so that she would take over.” Gahyeon said as Bora looked over at her worriedly.</p>
<p>“oh, don’t worry. They wouldn’t really do it. Dami scares them too much. But the tattoo made her feel better.” Gahyeon said, and Bora couldn’t help but look at Dami curiously. What could she have done to make gang members fear her?</p>
<p>As Bora looked at Dami, the girl glanced off into space, probably remembering something, but the expression that the younger girl was giving was what caught Bora by surprise. The cute girl that would smile one minute and be straight-faced the next looked menacing as she obviously remembered something dark.</p>
<p>“Dami? You ok?” Bora asked as Dami looked up, startled.</p>
<p>“huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. It's just… bad memories…” Dami said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p><em>‘remind me not to get on Dami’s bad side…’</em> Bora said to herself as she looked at the others.</p>
<p>If we can’t ask Dami’s family to help, one person will need to watch my apartment to protect Siyeon. Also, if we do this, we can't forget to get Eunbin first. We probably need to do it right now, actually…” Bora said as she looked at her watch.</p>
<p>Eunwoo immediately stood up and looked at Dami. “mind coming with me? I need help getting the glass off and carrying Eunbin and her mother's fake urn.” Eunwoo asked as Dami nodded and stood up.</p>
<p>“I will go get my tools and meet you there,” Dami said as Eunwoo nodded and went to his car while Dami went to hers and grabbed a black bag out of it, and slung it over her back.</p>
<p><em>‘I don’t want to be driving a car he's familiar with and associates with me while taking the urn so bike it is…’</em> Dami thought to herself as she hopped onto her bike and was off.</p>
<p>After they arrived. Dami stopped Eunwoo and handed him the black helmet she had strapped to the back of her bike for him during the racing.</p>
<p>Eunwoo looked at her with a confuse d expression, but Dami shook the helmet telling him to take it.</p>
<p>“he probably has cameras around here, and sure he will recognize your car, but imagine how paranoid he will be when we leave the camera inside and show two people with motorcycle helmets taking the urns?” Dami asked as Eunwoo nodded and grabbed the helmet.</p>
<p>“Good point…” Eunwoo said as he slid the helmet over his head and walked over to the urns. Within minutes they were in and removed Eunbin carefully. Once she was safely inside the car, the two made sure to wave at the camera before making their escape.</p>
<p>Soon the two were on their way back to the café while Eunwoo called the others.</p>
<p>“We got her and the fake urn. We will be there soon, so everyone gets ready!” Eunwoo said as they raced home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora and Moonbin-</p>
<p>“got it!” Bora said as she hit the button to end the call on her helmet and glanced at Moonbin. With a nod, they both flipped down their visors and started their bikes.</p>
<p>The plan was for Moonbin to go ahead and deliver the package and cause a distraction for the others. Bora was to be ready as a backup and travel alongside him a street or two over, and once Moonbin was ready, Bora would join him and separate, causing Sanha to choose the black bike or the flashy purple bike to follow. And now, phase one started.</p>
<p>Bora parked her bike several blocks away and waited anxiously as she watched the red dot that symbolized Moonbin.</p>
<p>“where is it?” Moonbin asked as he arrived at the location. Bora smiled, knowing he was in for a climb.</p>
<p>“look for a thin ass set of stairs that lead all the way to the roof…” Bora said as Moonbin looked around until he spotted it.</p>
<p>“fuck…” Moonbin said as Bora laughed. Moonbin sighed as he started the climb with a sigh.</p>
<p>“be careful, let me know when you leave and remember that he most likely remembers your voice so no talking!” Bora said as Moonbin sighed.</p>
<p>“yes, mother…” Moonbin teased as Bora chuckled and waited.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Moonbin was finally at the top and decided to wait a couple minutes to allow him to catch his breath. He took this opportunity to look around. The place looked oddly familiar. As Moonbin thought back, he remembered the place.</p>
<p>This apartment was where Sanha had crawled to when he escaped the gang after they beat him severely. ‘it must be why he stays here… he feels safe. Well, we are taking that security and throwing it out the window now, aren’t we?’ Moonbin said to himself as he straightened up and walked over to the door and knocked.</p>
<p>No answer, but Moonbin could hear movement on the other side of the door. Moonbin knocked harder. As he did, he could hear the person on the other side jump before opening the door slowly.</p>
<p>For the first time in years, it felt like, Moonbin stood in front of Sanha. Quickly he mumbled ‘delivery’ as he handed the package at Sanha.</p>
<p>“But I didn’t order anythi-“  Sanha froze as he looked at the return address. Quickly he looked up at the delivery driver as he tried to see through the tinted visor. It was no use. Sanha couldn’t make anything out.</p>
<p>Moonbin nudged Sanha with the clipboard snapping him out of his thoughts, and quickly, Sanha signed the paper. As Moonbin went to turn around, Sanha grabbed his arm, hard.</p>
<p>“who had you deliver this? was it a tall guy?” Sanha asked, but Moonbin shook his head.</p>
<p>“girl. Tall. Pretty.” Moonbin said as he shrugged and walked slowly down the stairs until he was out of sight of Sanha.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sanha quickly opened the package and almost dropped it in panic as he stared at a camera with a little red light on it. Taped to the bottom of the box was a note. It read ‘smile! You bastard! We are coming for you…’</p>
<p>Sanha panicked as he dropped the box and looked up for the delivery driver. He was gone, well almost.</p>
<p>As Sanha looked over the railing, he could make out the driver getting onto his bike and starting to drive away.</p>
<p>Quickly Sanha ran inside and grabbed his keys as he slammed and locked his door and went chasing after the delivery driver.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“package was delivered, and I'm slowly making my way towards you, be ready Bora,” Moonbin said as Bora started her bike and watched the dot moving.</p>
<p>“any sign of him? He was driving slightly normal until he knew I noticed him.” Bora said as Moonbin checked his mirrors.</p>
<p>“Nope, nothing yet! Oh, what do we have here… a car speeding up towards me? It just spotted me and slowed down…” Moonbin said as he watched it carefully.</p>
<p>“you ready? It’s time to lead him on a chase…” Bora said as Moonbin laughed.</p>
<p>“oh, you know it!” he said as he turned abruptly down a narrow road leading him to the alley that they planned for the chase.</p>
<p>Moonbin heard tires screech as Sanha drifted around the corner and stomped on the gas.</p>
<p>“It looks like he trying to run me over!” Moonbin said excitedly as he floored the gas. He zigzagged from side to side, taunting Sanha as they sped through dark alleys while Bora raced along a street over.</p>
<p>“Dami! He took the bait! Go for it!” Bora shouted as she chased after Sanha and Moonbin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Dami-</p>
<p>“got it,” Dami said as she hung up and signaled Eunwoo and Handong to follow. It was only supposed to be Dami and Eunwoo, but Handong refused to be left alone this time. It was also her friend's ashes that they were going to retrieve after all, and Dami couldn’t refuse her. As long as she wore the protective gear that Dami got her, she couldn’t tell her no.</p>
<p>“We are going in from the warehouse side. It has no alarm that I saw the day before, and it is out of view. No one will see us walking up to his front door.” Dami said as the two nodded, flipped down their visors, and walked into the warehouse, acting like they belonged there to not attract any attention.</p>
<p>As they walked up the metal stairs, Handong felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She was entering the apartment of the killer of her best friend, and she couldn’t get past that. Nervously she reached into her pocket and clutched the metal can that rested inside it as she tried to calm her nerves.</p>
<p>After several deep breaths, she started to feel better and focused back on Dami as she picked the lock into the apartment.</p>
<p>“were in. everyone ready?” Dami asked as they nodded. And tensed up in anticipation or fear, Dami wasn’t sure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cautiously Dami stepped into the apartment and looked around. She knew that Bora said that there was no alarm, but that didn’t mean that he just forgot to turn it on that day. Luckily though, Dami saw no signs of an alarm system as she walked over and looked at the wall of photos.</p>
<p>“Woah…” Dami said as she looked at them closely for the first time in person.</p>
<p>“We are all here… Handong… Eunwoo… Gahyeon… me… Siyeon… Bora… Minji… and Yoohyeon…” Dami said as she walked slowly along the wall and touched the corresponding photos as a chill went down her spine.</p>
<p>“I would be amazed if I wasn’t already terrified…” Handong said as she looked around while hugging herself. She obviously wasn’t comfortable here.</p>
<p>“I told you that you shouldn’t have come…” Dami said, but Handong just shook her head.</p>
<p>“no… I needed to come… I need to see this... she was like my sister, after all…” Handong said as she sighed and looked around.</p>
<p>Dami couldn’t argue with her. She knew that the girl needed closure, and this was the closest she could get. Handong couldn’t protect her, but at least she could protect her ashes and return her to her daughter.</p>
<p>“alright… you know the plan. I will let you get to it. Eunwoo and I will grab the cameras and hard drives first just in case breaking into the case will send him an alarm once we get it open. Handong? You can go and do your thing. I like your idea. It’s a nice touch…” Dami said with a smirk. They couldn’t see it due to the helmets, but they could hear it in her voice as Handong giggled.</p>
<p>“thank you. I think your criminal ways are rubbing off on me!” Handong teased as Dami acted offended.</p>
<p>“well, let's get going. We don’t know how long Sanha will fall for Bora and Moonbin’s trap.” Eunwoo said. Dami nodded in agreement as she walked into the room, lit up with computer monitors, and started working.</p>
<p>“all of the cameras on the table here and in the box along the wall need to go with us. We can leave them as a trail later or something. But we can't leave them here, or he will just use them against us. So, leaving them is not an option. Dami said as Eunwoo quickly packed up the cameras and ran with them as he loaded them into his car.</p>
<p>After two more trips to the car, Dami was done with the hard drives and started wiping them. Eunwoo smiled as he watched the process.</p>
<p><em>‘no more cameras or spying on us…’</em> Eunwoo said with a smile as he heard a weird hissing noise coming from the other room.</p>
<p>“what's that?” Eunwoo asked, startled, but Dami just shook her head.</p>
<p>“don’t worry, it’s just Handong,” Dami said with a smile. Eunwoo was intrigued. Slowly he walked into the room and watched as Handong wrote on the wall of photos with a can of red spray paint.</p>
<p>“We know who you are, now you know who we are. Love… KARMA. Karma?” Eunwoo asked as he looked at Handong. The girl just smiled.</p>
<p>“whenever she would get mad at someone who would do something bad, I would tell her it's ok, karma will get them. Her response was always ‘yes, but karma takes too long.’ I feel like we are her karma that is working for her…” Handong said with a weak smile.</p>
<p>“your right. I like it.” Eunwoo said with a nod as he smiled.</p>
<p>“I know it’s a little cheesy, but it is something she would always say, so if he stalked her as much as we think, he would know it, and hopefully it will scare him a bit…” Handong said as she blushed in embarrassment, but Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“no, I seriously like it. It's perfect.” Eunwoo said as he smiled at the wall. Handong had removed most of the pictures and rearranged them to spell out Sanha’s name before she spray-painted her message.</p>
<p>“Woah! Nice, Handong!” Dami said as she walked out with her equipment and walked over to the glass case and knelt in front of it.</p>
<p>“well, let's start, shall we?” Dami asked as she got out her tools. Carefully she felt along the bottom for any holes or wires but felt nothing.</p>
<p><em>‘that doesn’t mean anything. It could still have an alarm built into the base…’</em> Dami thought to herself as she looked closely at where the glass met the stand.</p>
<p><em>‘is that a wire? I can’t tell… I can see fingerprints on the glass, so I know it's not a touch-sensitive alarm, but that wire looks like it will trigger something if I remove it. Please tell me it won't blow up…’</em> Dami thought as she tested the glass.</p>
<p><em>‘fuck it. I'm going to cut it. It will leave him panicking as he stares at a hole in the glass. And if it fails, then he will come home to the glass smashed in. either way, it works…’</em> Dami thought to herself as she took out a glass cutter and looked to Handong.</p>
<p>“can you check to see if he has any ice in the freezer?” Dami asked Handong as the girl ran to the tiny kitchen and found the ice.</p>
<p>“yes, he has some!” Handong said as Dami smiled and started scoring the glass with her glass cutter. She scored two rings and soon started heating the glass along the cuts with a cordless heat gun.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo, can you look for some towels?” Dami asked as he ran to look for some.</p>
<p>“cool dump the ice in a pot or jug and fill it with cold water, then bring it to me!” Dami said as she heated up the cuts. She could hear the glass ting as the cracks followed her score lines.  She continued to move the gun around the lines keeping them hot and with her other hand reached for the pitcher that Handong brought over. It was very cold.</p>
<p>Dami smiled as she pulled the heat gun away and quickly attached a suction cup to the glass and poured the cold water along the score lines. The glass pinged a couple more times before a crack formed from one of the circles to the other.</p>
<p>With a careful jiggle of the suction cup, the glass gave way, and Dami cautiously pulled away and set it down on the towel that Eunwoo found to catch most of the water.</p>
<p>Dami gave a cautious look to Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if we have just triggered an alarm. So right now, we need to move fast. This cut was mainly to fuck with Sanha. We could have easily broken the glass, but I didn’t want to risk damaging the urn or the hair.” Dami said as Eunwoo nodded and reached in to carefully pull out the urn. He cradled it to his chest as Dami pulled out a plastic bag and carefully grabbed the lock of hair and put it inside the bag.</p>
<p>With a nod, the three headed out of the apartment and down the stairs into the warehouse when Dami’s phone went off.</p>
<p>“Hey, what's wrong?” Dami asked as Bora started shouting.</p>
<p>“he just left us! He seemed to look at his phone, and he's now heading your way. We lost sight of him! GET OUT OF THERE!” Bora shouted as Dami froze for a second to look at the others.</p>
<p>Suddenly they were running for their lives as they ran to their vehicles. Handong quickly jumped onto the back of Dami’s bike as the girl started it, and soon, their tires screeched as they all hightailed it out of there just in time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as they turned around the corner, Dami saw the vehicle that chased Bora the day before speeding down the street and into the warehouse.</p>
<p>“We just missed him. But he just went inside. It may get nasty…” Dami said to Bora as they zipped away.</p>
<p>“well, at least you are out of there! Get back as soon as possible and hide your bikes in the alley behind the café. Moonbin showed it to me, and it’s the perfect space for the bikes.” Bora said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“Handong, did you leave your surprise?” Bora asked as the girl laughed.</p>
<p>“yes, I did. And Dami left a camera, so when we get there, we will see how he reacted to it!” Handong said as she laughed and held onto Dami tightly.</p>
<p>“well, that will be fun to see!” Bora said as she laughed.</p>
<p>“get here safely, ok? He may be looking for you…” Bora said as Dami smiled.</p>
<p>“don’t worry about it. They can't catch me. Eunwoo is another story, but I'm a bit harder to catch.” Dami teased as Eunwoo looked over at her from the car and glared at her.</p>
<p>“you know I can hear you, right?” he said as Dami laughed.</p>
<p>“yes, I do, and it doesn’t stop the fact that you drive like a grandpa!” Dami said as the ex-cop sighed and rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“coming from the delinquent…” Eunwoo teased as they smiled and rushed to safety.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Madness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Sanha chased after the two on motorcycles as his mind went wild<em>. ‘she can't be alive, right? I know that she was dying when I left her. So how could it be her? Did she finally come back to me?’</em> he wondered as he hit the accelerator and tried to run the man in black off of the road. The rider dodged it easily and popped a wheelie to taunt Sanha.</p>
<p>His anger flared as he tried this time to hit the girl in purple, but just like the man in black, she dodged easily. His rage only went up, and so did his curiosity.</p>
<p>Sanha couldn’t help but think that the girl in purple reminded him of someone, but he just couldn’t place where he knew her from. One thing was for sure, though… one of these two would die tonight by his hand.</p>
<p>“no one fucks with me and gets away with it!” Sanha screamed as his driving became more erratic.</p>
<p>The chase was going smoothly, and both Jinwoo and Minhyuk were ready to join the race at any moment when a message came across Sanha’s phone.</p>
<p>Sanha quickly grabbed his phone and looked at it and paled. It was a notice from his alarm system that guarded Eunwoo’s fiancé. “what the fuck?” Sanha shouted in confusion as he looked at the message, and then it hit him.</p>
<p>“This was all a diversion…” Sanha said to himself as he paled and stomped on the breaks and kicked it into reverse and quickly escaped down one of the side alleys.</p>
<p>Bora quickly looked over her shoulder at the sound of screeching tires and only caught a glimpse of Sanha fleeing.</p>
<p>“shit!” Bora shouted as she and Moonbin slowed down. There was no sign of Sanha, and Bora’s anxiety was going up as she quickly called Dami and the others.</p>
<p>Dami answered right away as she asked what was wrong.</p>
<p>“he just left us! He seemed to look at his phone, and he's now heading your way. We lost sight of him! GET OUT OF THERE!” Bora shouted into the phone. She heard a moment of silence and then the sound of everyone running as they rushed to their vehicles to get away safely.</p>
<p> Dami and the others just barely escaped as they cut around a corner just as Sanha’s car came into view. Dami quickly relayed the info that they were safe to Bora, and soon, they were speeding to the café to regroup with the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Sanha-</p>
<p>Sanha screeched into the warehouse and bolted up the steps two at a time until he reached his door. It was open with a red k spray-painted across it. Sanha felt a chill across his body as he looked at the paint marks. It was still wet in some parts.</p>
<p>“it's still fresh…” Sanha said as he looked around. But he saw nothing. Slowly he entered his apartment as he pulled out the knife out of his pocket.</p>
<p>With slow steps, he entered the apartment. His eyes scanning everywhere as he looked for any signs of the intruders still being inside the house. But he saw none. Slowly he looked at the photo wall and froze.</p>
<p>There, in big letters, was a message spray-painted in big red letters.</p>
<p>“We know who you are, now you know who we are. Love… KARMA…” Sanha read softly aloud. He walked closer to look at the writing but stopped when he noticed the photos underneath the paint. It spelled his name. The name he hasn’t used in at least a year except on packages and his blood ran cold.</p>
<p>Whoever this was, they knew him. They even took the time to remove all of the pictures to rearrange them to spell out his name. This was personal, and soon, his anxiety started rising as he glanced at the urn.</p>
<p>“It can’t be you, right? After all, you’re here with me…” Sanha froze as he looked at the empty case, and soon, his eyes went wide as he screamed.</p>
<p>“no!!!” he yelled as he ran over to the empty case. Or almost empty. Sitting inside the case was a note with a camera that was blinking at him. The little light was like a taunt to him as he screamed and smashed his hands down on the glass, breaking it in a fit of rage.</p>
<p>“who? Who are you?!?” Sanha shouted as he grabbed the camera and looked into it.</p>
<p>“I don’t care WHO you are! I will find you and destroy you! You can’t take what belongs to me!” Sanha screamed before he threw the camera onto the ground and stomped on it. Smashing the wireless camera into tiny pieces.</p>
<p>He panted as he looked around in anger, and soon, his eyes went wide as he thought of his computer. He quickly ran into the room to see a blue screen and screamed. His computer was wiped clean. All of his footage and camera feeds… gone. Or were they?</p>
<p>Sanha quickly runs over to the bed and lifts the mattress to find his laptop safe. Or so he thought. He opened it to find a red k written on a piece of paper.</p>
<p>His eyes went wide as he hit the power button. Luckily the computer booted up fine. But he regretted not putting a password on the laptop. There was only one thing left on his computer. A lone video feed. It showed a wooden chair in a dark room. Sitting on the chair was the urn and leaned against it was a note.</p>
<p>“8:00 am. Be watching. Love, karma.” He read as he looked at the note and screamed. He quickly picked up the laptop to throw it but froze. If he destroyed the laptop, he wouldn’t see whatever they would do in the morning.</p>
<p>Slowly he lowered the laptop as his curiosity got the better of him.</p>
<p>“maybe they will be stupid enough to leave a clue that will lead me to them…” Sanha whispered to himself as he set it down upon the bed and slowly stood. It was time to take inventory of the damages.</p>
<p>Slowly, Sanha walked around the room, his rage building. All of his cameras were gone. ALL OF THEM. Not one was left except the ones that this KARMA left behind to spy on him and watch his reaction.</p>
<p>“well, I hope the show was entertaining to you… because tomorrow I come for you…” Sanha said as he slowly walked back to the case and stopped. He almost forgot to read the note that was left inside.</p>
<p>Carefully he opened the note and stared at it in shock. The handwriting looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. What he did know was the phrase written upon it.</p>
<p>“I was always told to wait, and karma would get all the bad people, but karma takes too long…” it read in red ink, and suddenly he remembered the handwriting and the phrase.</p>
<p>“no…” he whispered as he looked at the empty case.</p>
<p>“you are dead… I killed you myself…” Sanha said as he looked around.</p>
<p>“what are you, a ghost? Are you haunting me now?” Sanha asked as he stood up and looked around the room in fear.</p>
<p>The voices were starting to come back, and panic was setting in.</p>
<p>“stop it!” Sanha screamed as he covered his ears.</p>
<p>“I said, stop it!” he screamed before running towards the closet. But sadly, Eunwoo had found the closet while Dami wiped the hard drives and proceeded to clean it out. There was nothing for Sanha to use to calm himself down, and soon, his panic attack grew as his breathing increased. His vision started fading in and out as his breathing and heart rate went out of control.</p>
<p>Sanha ran out of the apartment in a panic, trying to escape the scenes causing his panic attacks as he disappeared into the night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora-</p>
<p>Bora was waiting on the others anxiously at the café. She repeatedly checked the back door for the group and sighed in relief when she finally heard them pulling up.</p>
<p>“about time!” Bora said as she ran up and hugged the two girls. She had reared that Sanha would hurt them, but once she hugged the two girls, her nerves started to ease.</p>
<p>“I told you not to worry. He will be kept busy…” Dami said as she smirked at Eunwoo and Handong.</p>
<p>“Handong left a couple of presents for him. I'm sure he's having a fit right now.” Eunwoo said as he smiled and put his arm around her. Eunwoo felt very protective of Handong after he found out who she was. He swore that he would protect his fiancé’s sister, and he planned to keep that promise.</p>
<p>“your back?” Moonbin asked as he leaned against the doorframe, eating one of the leftover desserts from the day and smiled at Eunwoo.</p>
<p>Eunwoo looked over Moonbin thoroughly. He told himself it was just to check for any injuries. But deep down, he knew that wasn’t the case.</p>
<p>‘thank god Gahyeon is with her sister, or I would have never heard the end of this…” Dami thought to herself as they all walked inside.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“let's check the cameras and see how he reacted,” Dami said while pulling out her laptop as they gathered around the table. Dami quickly pulled up the video feeds and hit play on the first one.</p>
<p>They watched as Sanha entered the room and noticed the wall of photos. “he hasn’t looked at the case yet…” Eunwoo said as he watched the video feed.</p>
<p>“Is he talking to someone?” Dami asked as she pointed at the screen right before Sanha turned around to notice the case.</p>
<p>“maybe to himself?” Eunwoo said aloud as everyone nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“It looks like he found it!” Bora said as she watched the stalker that they have feared for so long, looking tortured as he stared at the empty display case. She couldn’t say she felt bad for him after everything he has done. Especially after he smashes the case and camera.</p>
<p>“thank god that was just to get his attention…” Eunwoo said as they continued to watch one of the cameras as Sanha continued to have a breakdown.</p>
<p>“he found the computer!” Moonbin said as he high fived Dami. They both thought of the idea to wipe the hard drives, and it was obviously a perfect idea. It would set Sanha behind by a day or two, at least. And who knows how long it would be for him to get more hidden cameras.</p>
<p>It would put him at their mercy for once.</p>
<p>“did you get his laptop? I remembered he always used to have it with him…” Moonbin said as he watched, and soon, Sanha went over to pull it out from under the mattress.</p>
<p>“yep, even left one of Handong’s calling cards,” Eunwoo said as Handong smiled at him and looked back at the screen.</p>
<p>Sanha was looking at the screen in confusion before standing to throw the computer. He stopped almost right away and set it down.</p>
<p>“that’s a good boy…” Moonbin teased as he watched the feed. “you need that for the rest of our plan to work!” he said with a smile as he high fived Eunwoo.</p>
<p>It felt like a victory to them as they celebrated, but Bora just couldn’t help but feel that their plan was starting to fall apart somewhere.</p>
<p>Her nerves got the better of her, and she called Siyeon. “hey babe. I'm sorry, I'm working late. Are the others with you?” Bora asked as Siyeon chuckled.</p>
<p>“yes. Gahyeon is passed out on the couch while cuddling with Yoohyeon.” Siyeon said as Bora laughed.</p>
<p>“make sure you take pictures for blackmail purposes!” Bora said as Siyeon laughed again.</p>
<p>“I already did!” she said proudly as Bora grinned. But soon, Bora paused.</p>
<p>“so, where is Minji?” Bora asked as Siyeon hesitated.</p>
<p>“well, she went out to get us some food and hasn’t come back yet. She’s a little late… it's only right around the corner…” Siyeon said worriedly as Bora froze.</p>
<p>“maybe she is talking to someone. she could talk to anyone…” Siyeon said dismissively, but Bora didn’t like the feeling that she was having.</p>
<p>“ok, babe, well… I got to go back to work. Make sure the door is locked and sleep well…” Bora said nervously as they exchanged ‘I love you’s and hung up.</p>
<p>Bora instantly turned around and dialed Minji’s number in a panic. No answer. Dami noticed the panicked expression on Bora’s face and slowly stood. Her eyes not leaving Bora.</p>
<p>“Bora? What's wrong?” Dami asked softly as Bora’s eyes teared, and she ran her hand through her hair frustratedly.</p>
<p>“Minji…” Bora whispered as she desperately dialed the number again.</p>
<p>“what about Minji?” Eunwoo asked nervously as he walked over to Bora.</p>
<p>“she has been gone for a while. Siyeon says she should have been back by now, and she's not answering… Dami, how long ago was that video recorded?” Bora asked as she looked at Dami pleadingly.</p>
<p>“I will check what is going on live. Be right back…” Dami said as she ran over and pressed a couple of buttons and froze.</p>
<p>“BORA!” Dami shouted as her eyes went wide at the screen. Handong, who was closer, looked at the screen and gasped in horror.</p>
<p>Bora bolted around the table to look at the screen. There on the screen was Minji tied to a lone chair. Sanha was standing over her as he looked at the camera.</p>
<p>“is there sound?” Bora asked, panicked, but Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“no, not for this clip, but there is a voice recording bug. The timing may be a couple seconds off, but let me pull it up…” Dami said as her hands flew across the keyboard.</p>
<p>As Dami hit enter, the sounds of Minji screaming came across the laptop speakers making the group freeze.</p>
<p>Dami quickly hit a button on the keyboard and went back to the video.</p>
<p>“he's torturing her!” Bora shouted as they watched in horror as Minji continued to scream.</p>
<p>“What is he doing?” Handong asked as she pointed at his other hand, and they froze.</p>
<p>“is he recording it with his cell phone?” Eunwoo asked as they looked on in horror.</p>
<p>“he just sent the video to someone…” Dami said as she watched the footage closely, and soon, a notice came across the girls' phones.</p>
<p>Bora froze as she looked at Dami and Handong. Slowly the three pulled out their cellphones and looked at the message.</p>
<p>It was from an unknown number, and it was the video of Minji that they just watched him film.</p>
<p>“who all did he send this to?” Bora asked and was soon answered when her phone blew up with messages from Siyeon Gahyeon and Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>Soon Siyeon was calling, and Bora answered quickly.</p>
<p>“Baby, what's wrong?” Bora asked as she tried to sound calm, but Siyeon’s hysterical crying wasn’t helping.</p>
<p>“someone has Minji! They just sent us a message! They are hurting her, and Yoohyeon left me here with Gahyeon and told me to not answer the door. Bora, we are worried. Yoohyeon doesn’t even know where to go, so why did she leave like that?” Siyeon asked, and Bora’s blood ran cold.</p>
<p><em>‘she DOES know… we told her where when we talked earlier…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she looked over at Dami. The younger girl was pale as she looked Bora in the eyes.</p>
<p>“baby, it's ok. I will go looking for her. I will message you if anything happens ok?” Bora asked as Siyeon agreed, and soon, Bora was off the phone, and everyone was in motion.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo. I know that Jinwoo and Minhyuk are busy with work and we have asked so much from them but…” Bora hesitated, but Eunwoo shook his head as he pulled out his phone and dialed.</p>
<p>“hey, we have a situation. He's kidnapped Minji and is torturing her at his apartment. Can you get over there as fast as possible? No sirens. We don’t want him alerted. We are on our way too.” Eunwoo said, and soon, they heard swearing on the other end of the line as Jinwoo turned his car around and raced towards Minji and Sanha.</p>
<p>“I'm on my way there now! I will call Minhyuk, you go now!” Jinwoo said as Eunwoo hung up the phone, and everyone started getting ready for war.</p>
<p>“Handong, gear up. Helmet and everything. I don’t want to take any chances…” Bora said, and soon, they were ready and racing off towards Sanha.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was wearing the spare suit that Moonbin got, and luckily, it fit. Soon, they were off. Dami had Handong on the back of her bike, where Eunwoo was on the back of Moonbin’s while Bora was leading the group as they raced towards Sanha and the warehouse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The three bikes screeched to a halt outside the warehouse, and they quickly jumped off and turned to Dami while waiting for instructions.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why you are looking at me! I'm not an ex-cop!” Dami whispered as the two boys shook their heads.</p>
<p>“thinking like a cop will get Minji killed… we need to think like a criminal who doesn’t get caught…” Moonbin said as he looked at Dami as the girl sighed and nodded.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo, got your taser? Knife?” Dami asked as Eunwoo nodded. “good, Moonbin, what do you use? baton?” Dami asked, but Moonbin shook his head and pulled out a pair of taser knuckles.</p>
<p>“really? Wouldn’t they break on the first hit?” Dami asked, but Moonbin shook his head.</p>
<p>“made by MJ, two separate pieces of metal painted black and the prongs will stab into the flesh rather than bend.” Moonbin said as he also pulled out a baton. “and I have a backup…” Moonbin said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“alright… well, if they don’t break on first use, I want a pair…” Dami said as Moonbin smiled, and they all flipped down their visors and walked into the warehouse.</p>
<p>Bora swore as she tripped over a thin wire that snapped on contact. Dami flinched, expecting it to be a tripwire to a bomb, but instead, a voice recording started.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I knew I recognized that driver… it's you, isn’t it, Bora? Well, you're too late. Your friend and her idiot girlfriend are probably dead by now while I'm going to go pay a visit to Siyeon… see you soon…” Sanha said as he laughed before the tape ended. The group looked at each other in horror as they bolted up into the apartment.</p>
<p>“Minji!” Bora screamed as she ran over to her friend that was slouched over in her chair. Only a slight movement showed Bora that she was still alive.</p>
<p>“Minji? Minji! Wake up! Look at me!” Bora screamed as she gently patted Minji’s cheeks.</p>
<p>Minji barely came around, but when she did, she looked up with tears in her eyes as she looked behind Bora. The smaller girl followed her vision and froze. There on the floor was Yoohyeon. She was beaten horribly and wasn’t moving.</p>
<p>“Handong! Check Yoohyeon!” Bora shouted as she pointed at her while Handong quickly ran to Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“it's too late… she’s, she's gone…” Minji said weakly as she tried to blink away tears.</p>
<p>“he, he made me watch as he beat her… if I didn’t watch, he threatened to do horrible things to her…” Minji said as she started to sob weakly. Bora didn’t know what to do, so she held her gently, careful not to bump any of her wounds.</p>
<p>“an ambulance is on the way, just hold on, ok?” Eunwoo said as he looked at Minji with worry. She only looked in the direction of Yoohyeon’s body lost in thought.</p>
<p>Bora looked up at Eunwoo with worry, but he shook his head. Yoohyeon was gone just like Minji said, and now they were both worried for Minji’s mental stability. Reset or not, losing the one you loved while they were taken from you right in front of your eyes, it’s a difficult thing to live with.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon is Minji’s world, and without her, Minji looked lost. Her eyes lifeless as she silently mourned her.</p>
<p>“Should I untie her?” Bora asked, but Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“no, her position is holding one of her worse wounds closed, you move her, and it will start bleeding heavily. We need to wait for the paramedics…” Eunwoo said as Bora nodded and carefully brushed the hair out of Minji’s face. They clung to her face from the blood, and Bora had a difficult time trying not to cry as she looked at her best friend looking broken and lost. And she felt horrible that she couldn’t run to Siyeon. Eunwoo knew what she was thinking right away.</p>
<p>“we will stay here. Take Dami and Moonbin with you. Go protect Siyeon.” Eunwoo said, but Bora hesitated as she looked at Minji. She only smiled weakly and nodded.</p>
<p>“go… protect her. Gahyeon is there too…” Minji said weakly. Bora looked over to Dami, and she could tell that Dami was dying to go to Gahyeon and finally nodded.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry we were so late…” Bora said as tears ran down Minji’s face. She weakly shook her head as she looked up at Bora.</p>
<p>“I shouldn’t have left the house. You told me not to… this is all my fault…” Minji said as she looked in Yoohyeon’s direction again.</p>
<p>Bora exchanged a worried look with Eunwoo before leaning down to kiss her friend, and soon, Dami Bora and Moonbin rushed off to Siyeon and Gahyeon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This time they didn’t waste doing an inventory check. They quickly pulled up and launched off the bikes as they ran inside.</p>
<p>“shit, we forgot to change the locks on this repeat! He can get in!” Bora shouted as Dami looked over in panic as they bolted up the stairs, not even waiting for the elevator.</p>
<p>They soon arrived on their floor slightly out of breath, but they didn’t have time to rest as a scream was heard from Bora’s apartment.</p>
<p>They exchanged a quick glance before they all ran towards the door and burst through.</p>
<p>Bora and the others froze as they looked at Sanha as he held Gahyeon, a knife at her throat. Siyeon was sobbing as she pleaded for him to release her sister, but he refused as he looked over to Bora with a smirk.</p>
<p>“I knew it was you… you were always so flashy on your bike acting like you were all that as you mocked my feelings!” Sanha screamed as Gahyeon cried out in pain. His knife pressed a little too hard and drew a thin streak of blood.</p>
<p>Everyone shouted in horror as he smirked at the attention. “oh, if you think that is all, you are wrong!” Sanha said as he quickly pulled the knife across Gahyeon’s throat as everyone watched in what felt like slow motion.</p>
<p>Gahyeon’s face went pale in panic before she fell to the side in shock. The only thing that snapped everyone out of their shock was Siyeon’s scream as she went running to her sister, who was bleeding out on the floor. Bora just grabbed her in time as she held the crying woman.</p>
<p>“it’s too late, baby… I'm sorry…” Bora said as Siyeon shrieked and struggled.</p>
<p>“no, it's not! She's still alive!” Siyeon screamed, but Moonbin shook his head.</p>
<p>“she will be gone before the paramedics get here. Don’t sacrifice yourself just to go to her, or her death becomes meaningless…” Moonbin said softly. Siyeon finally started to calm slightly as Sanha laughed.</p>
<p>“well, if it isn’t Mr. black dog? So, who are you?” Sanha teased, but his teasing stopped when Moonbin flipped up his visor.</p>
<p>“recognize me now?” Moonbin asked as he glared at Sanha.</p>
<p>Sanha was in shock as he looked at Moonbin. He started shaking his heads, thinking that the image would change, but it was still Moonbin standing before him.</p>
<p>“how? Why?!” Sanha screamed as he pulled out a gun and aimed it at Moonbin.</p>
<p>“how? Why?” Moonbin asked as he took a step forward. “because you have turned into a monster!”<br/>Moonbin screamed as Sanha’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“your nothing but a crazy murder! You killed your own best friend’s fiancé just because of some sick fantasy Sanha! That’s not what a friend would do, that’s what a crazy person does!” Moonbin shouted as he stepped closer in a rage.</p>
<p>“a sane person doesn’t hurt people just because they don’t like them! You get over it and move on! You find someone who actually likes you!” Moonbin said as he took another step.</p>
<p>Sanha was slowly getting backed into a corner as he realized just how big his old friend is.</p>
<p>“get back!” Sanha screamed as he aimed the gun at Moonbin’s face.</p>
<p>“or what? You going to kill me too? Then what? Who’s next? Eunwoo? Jinwoo? Minhyuk?” Moonbin asked as Sanha was finally backed against the wall.</p>
<p>“no one cared if they hurt ME! So why should I care if I hurt someone else? HUH?” Sanha screamed as he looked at Moonbin with a wild expression.</p>
<p>“so, you become just like the people that hurt you?” Moonbin screamed back, causing Sanha to freeze in shock at the comment before looking even wilder than before.</p>
<p>“don’t compare me to them! I'm different!” Sanha said as he looked at Moonbin with a murderous glare.</p>
<p>Before he could pull the trigger, the door flew open as Minhyuk entered, gun raised.</p>
<p>“Sanha! Freeze!” Minhyuk shouted, but before he could do anything, Sanha aimed and pulled the trigger, striking him in the chest twice.</p>
<p>Minhyuk was stunned as he slid down the wall he fell against and was gone in seconds with two shots to the heart.</p>
<p>Moonbin shouted in rage as he lunged forward as Sanha quickly aims and fires at him in quick succession.</p>
<p>The suits were resistant to damage, but two shots one after another was too much for the suit to handle ads Moonbin staggered back in shock. The shot had penetrated right between the ribs and Moonbin could only look in shock at Sanha as he fell backward.</p>
<p>Sanha thought that was it, but when Moonbin fell backward, Dami lunged over baton ready. Sanha shot Dami in the head. But her helmet deflected the shot as she staggered backward just like Moonbin did. With the last shot, he aimed at the small gap between her helmet and the top of her jacket as he pulled the trigger. It hit its mark as it buried into her neck as she fell back, gasping for air as she clawed at her neck in panic.</p>
<p>Bora and Siyeon looked on in horror as Dami fell. Too shocked to even scream when shouting came from the doorway. Jinwoo was there with his gun aimed at Sanha.</p>
<p>With a scream, Sanha swung his gun at Jinwoo and pulled the trigger, but he was out of bullets. The issue was that Jinwoo wasn’t.</p>
<p>Jinwoo fired two shots in quick succession. One in the shoulder that held the gun and the other in the lungs like he had done to all of his victims.</p>
<p>Sanha fell on his back in shock at the pain. He struggled to breathe, but blood was filling his lungs as he struggled. He looked weakly at Jinwoo, who only shook his head in disgust at Sanha before radioing in a breaking and entering… with casualties.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By some miracle, Minji and Dami survived. But for the others, it was too late. Eunwoo wasn’t taking Minhyuk’s death well, but Moonbin’s death hit him the hardest. It looked like he was finally accepting his feeling for the man when he was gunned down by the same person that killed his fiancé.</p>
<p>Bora and Handong held Siyeon as she cried for the girls, and after some pleading, Siyeon finally went to Handong’s apartment.</p>
<p>Handong had promised to stay by the two throughout the night as she looked at Bora. And quickly pulled her aside.</p>
<p>“once the repeat happens… we need to figure out where it went wrong. But Sanha died, and the reset didn’t trigger, why?” Handong asked as Bora thought about it.</p>
<p>“because Jinwoo lawfully killed him in the protection of himself and others. It was legal, and we didn’t become murders?” Bora asked as Handong thought about her answer quietly before nodding.</p>
<p>“that gave me a plan then… once the restart happens, I will tell everyone. I will also keep Eunwoo with me. He doesn’t look too good…” Handong said as she looked at Eunwoo, who was sitting in the hallway staring off into space.</p>
<p>Bora nodded as Siyeon told her she was finally ready to go, and slowly, the couple made their way back home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once in Handong’s apartment, they followed the girl's instructions and grabbed changes of clothes as they showered and climbed into bed, feeling completely drained.</p>
<p>It took a couple of hours before the girls fell asleep in each other's arms, but it wasn’t restful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora woke up feeling exhausted as she rolled over to look at Siyeon sleeping beside her. The girl had her face scrunched like she usually would during a nightmare, so Bora did what she always did to soothe her and chase her nightmares away.</p>
<p>Bora gently reached her arm over and stroked the sleeping girl between the eyes until she relaxed. Once Siyeon’s eyes relaxed, Bora gently stroked her cheek to calm her nightmares when she froze.</p>
<p>Bora was staring at the hand that always held the journal on the mornings of a reset. Carefully Bora sat up and realized right away that they were not in their own bed, but Handong’s. Bora quickly sat up as she looked for her phone in a panic.</p>
<p>After some struggle, she unlocked the phone and looked at the date. It was the next day. There was no repeat. Panic rose up in her chest as she looked at the phone in shock when Handong’s number flashed up on her phone.</p>
<p>Bora slowly answered it. Still in shock when Handong shouted in a panic on the other line.</p>
<p>“did you not fall asleep? Why didn’t it reset?” Handong asked as Bora stood there silent as she looked at her phone, not knowing what to say.</p>
<p>“no, I went to sleep. It just didn’t reset… this isn’t the end, is it?” Bora asked weakly as Handong went quiet.</p>
<p>“I, I don’t know. Sanha is dead, but we lost so many… Dami… she died this morning. They just woke me up to tell me… you should probably come here with Siyeon…” Handong said weakly as she started crying on the other side.</p>
<p>Bora stood there in utter shock. She was completely unsure of what to do next as she heard Siyeon stirring in bed.</p>
<p>“Bora, what's wrong?” Siyeon asked sleepily as Bora looked over at her. Her voice caught in her throat. Unable to speak.</p>
<p><em>‘was that really the last time I would ever see Dami? Yoohyeon? Moonbin?’</em> Bora asked herself as her tears started to fall.</p>
<p>“Siyeon… its Dami… we need to go to the hospital. Now…” Bora said as Siyeon’s eyes went wide.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Pain of Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Siyeon and Bora rushed to the hospital that morning after they got the bad news about Dami. Everything felt so unreal.</p>
<p><em>‘How could there not be a reset? There has always been one before!’</em> Bora thought to herself as they rode in the cab to the hospital. Neither of them was safe to drive, so they quickly got in the nearest cab, and soon, they were off.</p>
<p>Bora held Siyeon all the way to the hospital as soft sniffles could be heard from both girls. It was all just too much. This all had to just be a dream or a nightmare. Dami and the others couldn’t be gone, right? It all just confused her so much that she had a massive headache by the time they arrived at the hospital.</p>
<p>Both girls were so out of it that they didn’t notice when the car stopped outside the hospital. The driver waited a bit before softly clearing his throat and letting them know they had arrived. He was careful not to upset the grieving girls, and they made sure to try to tip him for the extra kindness, but he refused as they slowly got out of the car and looked for Handong and the others.</p>
<p>“where are they?” Siyeon asked as Bora checked her phone. She had just messaged Handong that she arrived, and soon, Handong met the girls and led them inside to a room that looked like a morgue.</p>
<p>“Why are we here? Did they already move her to the morgue?” Siyeon asked, and Handong could only nod.</p>
<p>“her parents want to have an autopsy done… she was doing fine considering her injuries until suddenly she took a bad turn… they suspect that she caught an infection due to the hospital…” Handong said as she looked at the others.</p>
<p>They looked at the room that Dami was now resting in. They could hear Dami’s mother crying inside the room, and Bora’s heart ached at the sound. It was such anguish, and she completely understood because she felt the same.</p>
<p>Except the cause for her was the guilt that was eating her alive. With a slow and uneven breath, Bora nervously walked over to the door and knocked softly.</p>
<p>The door slowly opened, and soon she was staring at Mr. and Ms. Lee. They also had bodyguards with them who seemed to be heartbroken as well. Dami was obviously well-loved, as she should be.</p>
<p>“I'm glad you are here… she loved you and Siyeon greatly… I'm just sorry that it had to be in such a dark place…” Mr. Lee said as he fought back tears.</p>
<p>It was really hard to believe that this was one of the toughest gang leaders in Seoul when he would talk about Dami, but she knew it was true.</p>
<p>“I'm so sorry, she died because of me and my friends…” Bora said as tears threatened to fall. Suddenly she was surprised as something slammed into her. It was Dami’s mother as she scooped the smaller girl up in a tight hug.</p>
<p>“she protected her girlfriend, who she loved deeply and defended the people she cared most about. It's not your fault, and I'm completely proud of her. I just wished she could have proposed before this happened. So, they could at least have been happy for a while…” Ms. Lee said as Bora’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>‘Dami was going to propose to Gahyeon?’ Bora asked herself as Siyeon walked into the room slowly.</p>
<p>“Hello, Mr. and Ms. Lee…” Siyeon said as tears streaked down her face. This is the same morgue that her little sister was in, and it was starting to hit her hard right now.</p>
<p>Mr. Lee slowly walked over and hugged Siyeon as she sobbed into his expensive jacket. He comforted her without a care for his expensive clothes.</p>
<p>‘I could see that it's true, they just want to be a normal family. They don’t seem like dangerous people at all right now. Right now, they just want to grieve for their lost daughter.’ Bora thought as Ms. Lee stood straighter and brought Siyeon to stand beside Bora as she pulled something out of her pocket.</p>
<p>“This was Dami’s. She was going to give it to Gahyeon when she got up enough courage… she never got the chance, but could Gahyeon be buried with it? I just feel like that is where this ring belongs…” Ms. Lee said as she handed the small beautiful ring box to Siyeon, who looked at it in shock.</p>
<p>Slowly Siyeon opened the ring and gasped. It wasn’t a diamond ring. Gahyeon said that she thought the clear stones were boring. Instead, it was a beautiful ring with stones that were Gahyeon’s favorite color.</p>
<p> The ring looked delicate and was obviously made just for Gahyeon. This was no store-bought ring, and the girls gasped in shock at the tiny details on it. Curiosity got the better of her and carefully, Siyeon pulled out the ring and looked inside to see if there was an inscription and there was.</p>
<p>In tiny writing was an inscription for Gahyeon. It read, <em>‘you said I am your world, but you are my universe. Marry me?’</em></p>
<p>Siyeon started blinking back tears as she gently placed the ring back into the box with shaky hands and nodded to Ms. Lee.</p>
<p>“I think you are right. That is where it belongs…” Siyeon said as she looked at the beautiful box in her hand and gently slid it into her pocket.</p>
<p>“I will place it with her when I say my final goodbye…” Siyeon said as everyone nodded sadly.</p>
<p>“I would like to know why that boy did what he did. I heard that he even killed two of his own friends that night…” Mr. Lee said and quickly, Bora signaled for Handong to take Siyeon away so that they could talk alone.</p>
<p>Once Siyeon was away and out of earshot, Bora looked over to Mr. and Ms. Lee and bowed to them, startling the couple.</p>
<p>“Why are you bowing to us?” Ms. Lee asked in shock, but Bora couldn’t look at them at the moment.</p>
<p>“because it's my fault for everything. Please don’t hate Siyeon…” Bora said as the two parents looked at her in confusion.</p>
<p>“what do you mean?” Mr. Lee asked softly as he made her stand up and look them in the eyes.</p>
<p>Tears streamed down her face as she took a deep breath and looked up at the two. “I found out that someone started stalking Siyeon. She's too scared to tell anyone, including me. I asked Dami for help, and in the end, she was killed for it… I'm so sorry… it really is all my fault. I can understand if you hate me…” Bora said as a silence filled the room.</p>
<p>Several minutes passed before someone spoke again. “Dami wanted to protect people. To be able to keep the ones she loves safe. It is why she wanted to become a bodyguard and not follow in our footsteps. I am glad for that. She was too kind to be in our line of work. So, I know that it is not your fault…” Mr. Lee said as Bora looked up in confusion.</p>
<p>“Dami would never forgive herself if something happened to any of you without her knowing or being able to help. She already lost someone she cared about when she was younger, and it almost broke her. Gahyeon was like her light that pulled her out of whatever darkness she was in, and Siyeon’s music was the first thing she seemed genuinely interested in after that incident. It would kill her to find out someone was hurt, and she couldn’t do anything to help again. It really isn’t your fault.” Ms. Lee said as she patted Bora on the shoulder.</p>
<p>“if she lost Gahyeon, we would have probably lost Dami as well anyway. At least this way, she died protecting her favorite people.” Mr. Lee said as he looked at the table with a sheet covering what looked like a body.</p>
<p>Quickly Bora realized that it was Dami and gulped.</p>
<p>“if we knew about him, we could have stopped him before it got to this…” Mr. Lee whispered, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“he was protected. When Dami found out, she said that she couldn’t do anything…” Bora said as the two looked up in shock. She didn’t know what shocked them the most, that she knew about what they truly were, or about the fact that Dami’s killer was protected.</p>
<p>“Dami told you?” Ms. Lee asked as Bora nodded softly.</p>
<p>“she told me saying that she didn’t want to keep any secrets from me. Siyeon doesn’t know yet.” Bora said as the two nodded.</p>
<p>“Did she say who endorsed the tattoo?” Mr. Lee asked, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“as soon as she saw it, she shined a light on it, and she dropped him,” Bora said as the two looked at each other.</p>
<p>“call around. Find the morgue he is at and check the tattoo. I need to know who endorsed that lunatic.” Mr. Lee said, sounding very businesslike. Soon, one of the bodyguards left the room to make a call.</p>
<p>“we will look into this. You probably want to know just as bad as we do. I will let you know if I find out anything. Just please, make sure that ring gets to where it belongs…” Mr. Lee said as he and his wife left the room with a new goal. To find out who supported Sanha.</p>
<p>Bora messaged Handong that it was ok for Siyeon to come back, and soon they said their final goodbyes to Dami.</p>
<p>After the two left the morgue, they walked over to spot Handong with Eunwoo.</p>
<p>They were greeted by Eunwoo as he held Handong, who sobbed into his chest. He looked up at them, looking helpless. He didn’t know how to comfort her, so all he could do is hold her until her crying stopped.</p>
<p>Bora looked at Handong and went silent. It was all too much. Her emotions choked her as she remained frozen, watching Handong sob into Eunwoo uncontrollably.</p>
<p><em>‘Why wasn’t there a reset? There has been one every time before. So why now? Did the spell of the journal get broken as soon as Sanha died?’</em> Bora wondered as she fought back tears.</p>
<p><em>‘We lost so many… this cant be the end. It just cants…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she felt herself sinking. Faintly she could hear Siyeon’s panicked cries as she tries to helplessly call Bora back, but her emotions are overwhelming her, and soon, it is all just too much as she blacks out.</p>
<p><em>‘I was supposed to be the strong one for Siyeon…’</em> Bora thought as she felt herself becoming weak as everything went black. The last thing she heard was multiple voices calling her name in panic as someone picked her up and started running.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A couple hours later, Bora woke up in a hospital bed. She looked around in confusion and panic as déjà vu washed over her. <em>‘oh god no… please tell me I didn’t fail… this isn’t right after I lost Siyeon, is it?’</em> Bora thought as her heart rate increased rapidly until the monitor, she was hooked up to beeped rapidly.</p>
<p>The sudden alarm startled Siyeon awake as she sat up, her glasses sliding off her face as she looked worriedly at Bora.</p>
<p>“baby… are you awake? Do I need to call a doctor?” Siyeon asked as she straightened her glasses and held Bora’s hand gently. Her eyes were filled with worry. But as soon as Bora heard Siyeon’s voice, her heart rate started to slow as her panic eased.</p>
<p> Bora breathed a sigh of relief as she gently squeezed Siyeon’s hand. Everything else may be horrible, but at least she wasn’t alone. She had Siyeon with her. It wouldn’t change the facts that the deaths of the others haunted Bora while she slept.</p>
<p>She knew that if she hadn’t involved anyone else, the others would be alive right now. Her thoughts went dark as her brow creased while she held her eyes closed. Her thoughts ran rampant until she felt Siyeon’s warm lips on her forehead.</p>
<p>“Baby, don’t stress, please… you are worrying me…” Siyeon said as Bora slowly opened her eyes to look into Siyeon’s intense ones that showed such worry for Bora that she couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry…” Bora said weakly. “it's just that everything is just too much so fast…” Bora said as Siyeon gently wrapped her arms around the smaller girl to comfort her.</p>
<p>Bora smiled as she leaned into Siyeon, her only comfort. At least she still had Siyeon with her. But it didn’t stop the hurting in her chest as she thought about Dami Gahyeon and the others. Everyone that lost their lives just to help save Siyeon with the trust that if anything would happen to them, at least there would be a repeat. But that repeat didn’t happen this time, and Bora felt helpless.</p>
<p>Handong came in shortly later with tears in her eyes. She had just come back from visiting Minji, and it didn’t look like it went well.</p>
<p>“she’s refusing to eat, refusing her pain medications… the loss of Yoohyeon seems to be too much for her. They also think that she has an infection…” Handong said weakly as she looked up at Bora with a sad expression.</p>
<p>They both knew that she just hoped to die. That it was a dream, or it would reset once the pain stopped. Only Siyeon didn’t know what was going on, and Bora felt horrible. There wasn’t any proof that she couldn’t tell her. But she just couldn’t bring herself to either way.</p>
<p>Bora knew that if she told Siyeon, she would blame herself for the deaths of her friends and family. So, Bora leaned into Siyeon’s embrace as she thought of what to do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Several minutes later, a doctor came in to check on Bora and gave her permission to visit Minji. She was in the ICU, but in the wing that was slightly less severe than their critical patients. But it was still limited access. So only one visitor was allowed at a time. Eunwoo came out of the room to let Bora in, and soon she was staring at her best friend who looked utterly heartbroken.</p>
<p>“Minji…” Bora whispered as her friend looked at her with red-ringed eyes.</p>
<p>“Bora…” Minji said softly with a smile as she looked up at Bora. Her eyes looked empty as she clutched her cellphone in her hands. Every couple of minutes, she would unlock it to look at her home screen. The picture she took with Yoohyeon. The one where they were smiling like the fools in love that they were.</p>
<p>It hurt her so much to look at the picture, but at the same time, it made her happy to see Yoohyeon’s face one more time as she would smile with tear-filled eyes.</p>
<p>“Minji, stop torturing yourself like that…” Bora said as she rested a hand on Minji’s wrist. But Minji just shook her head slowly.</p>
<p>“I miss her. I'm afraid of forgetting a single detail of her face. The way she laughs… anything…” Minji said as her voice wavered.</p>
<p>“I know… I felt the same with Siyeon. But you can't do this to yourself. She wouldn’t like you torturing yourself to keep her in your memory…” Bora said as Minji choked out a sob. She knew that Bora was right but just couldn’t admit it as her hand gripped the phone tighter.</p>
<p>“Minji, please…” Bora asked softly. The sound of heartbreak in Bora’s voice snapping Minji out of her sorrow for a minute as she looked at her best friend.</p>
<p>Bora looked at her with a look of extreme guilt, and right away, Minji sighed as she released her phone. Carefully Bora slid the phone away from Minji and gently set it on the table beside her so that it was still in reach of the injured girl.</p>
<p>“Minji, you need to eat. Yoohyeon would hate to see you starving yourself for her. She loved watching how happy you would always be as you eat…” Bora said as Minji’s head drooped in defeat.</p>
<p>“and take your pain medicine. Don’t suffer. It doesn’t help anyone.it only hurts you more…” Bora said as Minji nodded weakly.</p>
<p>“you want to attend Yoohyeon’s funeral, not be buried beside her. But to do that, you need to eat and take your medicine. They think you are getting an infection because you are too weak…” Bora said as Minji nodded again.</p>
<p>“promise me?” Bora asked as Minji nodded and finally looked up at Bora again.</p>
<p>“I promise. I, I want to say goodbye to Yoohyeon, and you are right. She would just be mad at me if she found out how I am behaving…” Minji said as she smiled weakly.</p>
<p>Bora only nodded as she leaned down and gently hugged her best friend, careful not to hurt her injuries.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-The Funeral-</p>
<p>Two days passed, and it was now the day for everyone's funerals. Mr. and Ms. Lee spent a lot of money to buy expensive burial plots so that the friends could be buried close to each other. It was a long day, and by the end, everyone was drained from crying.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon’s funeral was first because Minji could only leave the hospital for a short time and had to be escorted by nurses the entire time. Minji wanted to stay for the rest, but she was getting weak and had to be taken back to the hospital.</p>
<p>Eunwoo had a hard time burying his friends, but especially Moonbin. He still hadn’t accepted his feelings for his best friend and would never get the chance to, but at least MJ was there to comfort him.</p>
<p>But the most heartbreaking part for the girls was when Gahyeon and Dami were buried. Just as promised, Siyeon made sure that Gahyeon was wearing Dami’s ring as the coffin was slowly lowered down and buried.</p>
<p>The four stood there, staring at the graves in front of them quietly. Everything still felt unreal. They couldn’t have really just buried their friends, could they? But yes, they did.</p>
<p>They felt numb as they stared forward silently. Finally, the cold air got to the four as they slowly said their last goodbyes and walked back to their vehicles.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day, Bora got a message from Mr. Lee. He told her he had found out some info and asked where to meet. Bora slipped out of bed and went to Eunwoo’s café and waited for Mr. Lee to get there.</p>
<p>It took about thirty minutes for him to show up, and she was starting to get nervous. When he finally walked through the door, she sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“Sorry that I’m late. They caught an informant, and we questioned them before heading over here.” Mr. Lee said with a serious face as she noticed what looked like black dots on his sleeves.</p>
<p><em>‘must be blood.’</em> Bora thought casually as she looked up at him. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous, but she still felt comfortable around Mr. Lee.</p>
<p>“That boy had a terrible past. It doesn’t forgive his actions, but it explains his mark. There was a gang in the area that I chased out several years ago. They were violent and liked making scenes so that they got in the news.” Mr. Lee said as he looked at Bora with a frown.</p>
<p>“one side of their business was adult filming sites. Specifically, hidden cameras. They forced him to place cameras for them and even deliver drugs or whatever they needed. That gang is where he got his mark from. It is now invalid, but Dami must not have known that. Or she feared that they would use it as an excuse to start a war over Seoul.” Mr. Lee said as he took a sip of the coffee Eunwoo gave him and smiled in satisfaction.</p>
<p>“We know she said that that she was afraid that they were trying to make a push back into Seoul. I don’t think she wanted to cause problems for her family.” Eunwoo said as Mr. Lee looked at him in shock.</p>
<p>“who all did Dami tell? She was usually a girl that hid that fact desperately…” Mr. Lee said a Eunwoo bowed.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry if I sounded rude, I just wanted to tell you what she was thinking at the time,” Eunwoo said as Mr. Lee waved it off.</p>
<p>“I'm not upset, just surprised. That’s all. But that group broke up into two gangs and one half IS in Seoul. They are back into hidden cameras, and he seemed to be the one that supplied them with their cameras or footage. Which ones I'm not sure. We also think he was helping them sell drugs for quick cash. It makes me wonder if he was taking some too. It could make his mental illnesses worse. Paranoia, as well as the voices…” Mr. Lee said as the two listened intently.</p>
<p>If we had a reset, this info would be of great use. Breaking up a gang dealing in drugs and hidden cameras would help MJ and the others in a promotion, and it would also save Siyeon by arresting Sanha. But sadly, that would only happen if there is a repeat.</p>
<p><em>‘if only…’</em> Bora thought to herself wistfully as she imagined being able to make everything right. Being able to hug Yoohyeon Dami and Gahyeon again. To see them smiling at her again. She even missed Moonbin and his dorky smile and bad jokes.</p>
<p>She hadn’t realized how everyone became so important to her so quickly. The idea of losing Handong would be devastating also. Everything was wrong right now, and she prayed that there was a way to make it right again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After meeting Mr. Lee, the two sat in the coffee shop silently. There was a lot to process. First, the tattoo was from an old gang and wasn’t valid anymore, so he was free game.</p>
<p>The second was that they had a possible way to take him down. But it was all worthless information now. They both felt helpless as they looked sadly at each other.</p>
<p>“What do we do now? I miss him…” Eunwoo said softly, startling Bora out of her thoughts. She looked up at Eunwoo, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was instead looking at the cup sitting in front of him.</p>
<p>“it doesn’t taste the same…” Eunwoo said as he blinked away tears. Between the loss of his fiancé and now Moonbin before, he even accepted his feelings for his smiling friend. It seemed to be tearing him apart.</p>
<p>He seemed to finally realize his feelings for Moonbin, and it was all too late. Everything was too late. He clutched the cup in his hands as he slowly took a sip from it and sighed sadly.</p>
<p>“I'm so stupid… you knew, didn’t you?” Eunwoo asked, catching Bora off guard.</p>
<p> “what?” Bora asked as Eunwoo looked up with a sad expression.</p>
<p>“about how I felt about Moonbin…” Eunwoo stated as Bora’s eyes went wide in understanding.</p>
<p>“oh, yes. I noticed. He looked at you like you were his universe.” Bora said and instantly regretted it. Not just because it made Eunwoo’s heart ache, but because it made her miss Dami and Gahyeon greatly. A couple lost their lives because of her.</p>
<p><em>‘They had a happy life together ahead of them… but I took it away from them by asking them to help…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she let out an uneven sigh. Her tears were threatening to break through as her throat seemed to tighten while she fought the urge to cry.</p>
<p>The two spent another hour at the café before Siyeon messaged her. She was worried about Bora, and once she found out where she was, Siyeon went to the café. They spent several more hours just sitting there with Eunwoo. The café was closed, but it was a habit to come to work and this way Eunwoo wasn’t alone.</p>
<p>Finally, Siyeon’s stomach growled, causing Bora to laugh. “you came right over without eating, didn’t you?” Bora asked as Siyeon blushed and looked down, shielding her face with her hair. Bora smiled as she gently tilted her head up so that she could see Siyeon’s eyes and softly stroked her cheek.</p>
<p>“come on, let's go eat. Will you come with us, Eunwoo?” Bora asked, and Eunwoo hesitated. He wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want to be alone, but he didn’t want to intrude on the couple’s alone time. But his worries were interrupted when Siyeon walked over and grabbed his wrist gently and led him outside the shop, only pausing momentarily for him to lock the shop.</p>
<p>“you need to eat. I can tell that you haven’t eaten properly in days…” Siyeon said as she looked at him with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry…” Eunwoo said softly as Siyeon shook her head.</p>
<p>“I'm not scolding you. You don’t need to apologize. I understand you are grieving. I'm just worried about you. Come, let's go eat…” Siyeon said as she gave one of her classic looks, and soon, Eunwoo nodded and followed the couple as they walked over to a restaurant nearby.</p>
<p>They ate and talked for an hour, and throughout that time, Eunwoo seemed to start to look more alive. It relieved the girls who were getting genuinely worried, and soon, it was time to say goodbye.</p>
<p>Once home, the couple sat up and watched movies until they could fall asleep. Siyeon fell asleep rather easily as she snuggled against Bora cutely, but sleep just wouldn’t come for the restless girl. She watched several movies and looked at the clock.</p>
<p>“Almost midnight…” Bora said with a sigh as she looked at her phone. Her emotions getting the better of her as she looked at the time ticking away.</p>
<p>“11:58… 11:59… 12…” Bora froze as she looked around. The time on her phone didn’t change. Confused, she went to wake Siyeon but noticed how still she was.</p>
<p><em>‘no breathing…’</em> Bora realized, and soon panic set in.</p>
<p>“Siyeon!” Bora shouted in panic,</p>
<p>“it's alright… I just paused everything temporarily.” A soft voice said as Bora turned around to look at the same figure that she talked to around five days ago.</p>
<p>“what’s going on?” Bora asked as she looked at the woman with tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Did I mess everything up? Is it too late?” Bora asked, but the figure just shook her head.</p>
<p>“no, I told you that it took a lot of power to stop you that day. I'm the one that resets your day early. Otherwise, you would have to wait the seven days and use more of my pages. But when I stopped you that day, I used five pages and lost the strength to repeat it until five days pass. That is now. I'm sorry I worried you, but I was too weak to speak to you until that time is up.” The woman said as Bora felt hope swelling up in her chest.</p>
<p>“you mean…” Bora started to ask but hesitated, worried about the answer.</p>
<p>“yes. After we are done speaking, it will reset. Your friends will be alive.” The woman said as Bora sank back in relief. It was like a heavy weight was being lifted off of her, but soon she had a question.</p>
<p>“then won't you showing up here drain you of power? Will we experience the same thing again?” Bora asked, but the figure shook her head again.</p>
<p>“no, only the reset where I stopped you before I should have drained me. I didn’t talk to you before because usually, it only confuses the situation or scares the person I talk to.” The woman said as Bora nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“but be careful. You are running out of pages…” the woman said as Bora nodded worriedly. She had noticed but was trying to ignore it.</p>
<p>“I'm trying. I have a plan now. And I think it will work. Oh, also I forgot to ask. Is it alright for Siyeon to know? Can we tell her?” Bora asked, but the woman shook her head.</p>
<p>“she's not ready to know yet. It will be too much for her. The guilt too strong.” The woman said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>Siyeon would most definitely blame herself. Some things are best not to know, and maybe this was one of them.</p>
<p>Bora had so many questions, but as soon as she went to ask them, a wave of sleepiness washed over her, and soon, everything faded out. The last thing she thought was one thing. ‘she said YET…’ as her consciousness faded out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora slowly opened her eyes, praying that it wasn’t just a dream, carefully she lifted her hand and looked at it. There in her hand was the journal.</p>
<p>Bora let out a happy sigh as tears of joy streaked down her face. She desperately clutched it to her chest as she whispered silent ‘thankyous’ to the journal and looked around. It was slightly early, and Siyeon was still sleeping peacefully.</p>
<p>Bora slowly climbed out of bed and hid the journal safely under the bed and walked into the bathroom with her phone.</p>
<p>As soon as the door was closed, Bora quickly dialed Minji’s number. It rang several times before someone finally answered with a muffled grunt.</p>
<p>“Minji?!?” Bora shouted as she listened desperately at the other end of the line.</p>
<p>“no, its Yoohyeon. Bora, what's wrong? You never call this early…” Yoohyeon said as she yawned softly into the phone. Bora could hear Minji asking softly who was on the phone. Bora’s knees gave out ion relief as she landed onto the bathroom floor and cried into the phone.</p>
<p>Her emotions overwhelmed her as she listened to the friend that she thought she would never see again.</p>
<p>“Bora? Are you crying? What's wrong?” Yoohyeon asked, suddenly sounding more awake. Bora could hear Minji stir at that and roll over.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Minji asked, sounding worried.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Bora called asking for you, and when I said it was me, she started crying. If I didn’t think it was serious, I would be offended!” Yoohyeon said as they got out of bed.</p>
<p>“Bora, we are coming over,” Minji said as she grabbed the phone.</p>
<p>“ok, but don’t wake Siyeon, please…” Bora said weakly, and soon, they hung up as they walked next door.</p>
<p><em>‘they are alive…’</em> Bora thought happily as the bathroom door opened to admit the two who quietly walked in and closed the door behind them.  Minji and Yoohyeon hugged Bora as she cried and clung to them until her tears were finished.</p>
<p>“alright… let's go to my apartment, and you can tell us what's wrong ok?” Minji asked softly as Bora nodded and obeyed the two.</p>
<p><em>‘thank god you are alive Yoohyeon, you don’t know just how much you mean to Minji…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she looked at Yoohyeon and smiled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Relief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Minji and Yoohyeon walked the sniffling girl next door. Minji was extremely worried, this was the worst she had ever seen Bora cry, and it was making her heart ache at how Bora struggled to hide her tears from them.</p>
<p>Bora started to feel self-conscious about her crying, but she just couldn’t stop. Her emotions were pushed to their limits, and they finally burst through. All of her strength weakened as she went and held onto Minji.</p>
<p>“The last time I saw you was after Yoohyeon’s funeral… you don’t know how happy I am to see the two of you together right now…” Bora said as Minji looked at her with a shocked expression.</p>
<p>“Bora, is all of this just about a nightmare?” Minji asked as she gently stroked Bora’s arm, trying to calm her.</p>
<p>“I wish…” Bora said as she explained the repeating bringing the two girls’ memories back. Minji sat there with her eyes wide for a minute or two as she looked at Yoohyeon. All of the memories came back and with it the pain of Yoohyeon being gone, of Minji being left alone. Her eyes threatened to overfill as she looked at Yoohyeon, who had already started crying.</p>
<p>“How could you not eat! I tried everything I could to get you to hear me! to know I didn’t like you trying to kill yourself because of me…” Yoohyeon said as the other two froze.</p>
<p>“how… how did you know?” Bora asked as Minji looked stunned, and Yoohyeon sobbed.</p>
<p>“I, I saw everything after I died. Usually, I don’t remember it. But this time I did. I remember looking down at my body, I remember watching him hurt Minji…” Yoohyeon said, and soon, Minji was out of her seat and hugging her sobbing girlfriend.</p>
<p>“Is this normal?” Minji asked as she looked at Bora, who looked away, looking guilty.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, I wasn’t sure if it was just grief, but after Siyeon died, I would see her in the reflections of things. I would occasionally feel like she would touch me…” Bora said as Minji looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Minji asked as Bora looked away.</p>
<p>“I was afraid you would just think I was crazy, or it was due to the grief…” Bora said as Minji nodded in understanding. It was hard to believe if it wasn’t for Yoohyeon in her arms, telling them what happened after her death.</p>
<p>“I'm ok now… don’t cry…” Minji said as she soothed Yoohyeon, who clutched onto her like her life depended on it.</p>
<p>“I realized something after I lost you…” Minji said as she cradled Yoohyeon against her and gently kissed her head.</p>
<p>“that I am nothing without you. I just felt empty. Lost. Please don’t ever leave me…” Minji said weakly as Yoohyeon nodded against her chest. Minji was remembering watching them lower Yoohyeon’s coffin into the ground and couldn’t help but squeeze the girl slightly tighter.</p>
<p>Minji could feel the tears soaking through her shirt and only smiled as she gently kissed Yoohyeon’s head again. The younger girl refused to look at her for fear of an ugly crying face, and Minji couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>Bora sat there, silently sobbing as she looked at the two. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and crushed them in a group hug with her tiny arms.</p>
<p>“I can’t. Breathe. Bora…” Minji said as Bora finally released them with a giggle.</p>
<p>“you seem delirious from too much crying…” Minji said as she held Yoohyeon to her chest with one arm and gently brushed the tears from Bora’s face with the other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Minji’s chest felt like it was going to burst with happiness just to hold Yoohyeon in her arms again. She just couldn’t let her go yet. And obviously, Yoohyeon felt the same because she just couldn’t let her grip on Minji go as she hid her face against Minji’s warm chest.</p>
<p>“Baby, I'm ok now, and so are you… please don’t cry?” Minji pleaded softly. Her soft voice finally getting Yoohyeon to look at her. Minji couldn’t help but laugh at how red her eyes were. Yoohyeon pouted as Minji smiled and kissed each cheek and then her pouting lips.</p>
<p>“there, that’s the smile I love!” Minji said as Yoohyeon smiled shyly at her and hugged the older girl sweetly.</p>
<p>“I was so scared. When I got the video of him hurting you… I think I lost it. I left Siyeon and Gahyeon and headed right over without a plan. I don’t want to witness something like that again… I don’t want to be weak and unable to protect you…” Yoohyeon said as she sat back and looked down at her hands in her lap.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon slowly looked at Bora, who had now gotten her crying under control with a determined look. “we need to get this guy. I don’t want him to hurt ANYONE. You all are my family, and I don’t like the thought of anyone getting hurt. How can we stop him?” Yoohyeon asked as Bora was snapped back from her daydreaming.</p>
<p>“oh, right! There may be a way that we can get him without any deaths if we plan this right!” Bora said as she smacked her forehead and looked at the others.</p>
<p>“We need to gather everyone and meet at Eunwoo’s café. We will need everyone on this, even his friends. That is IF they will want to help us after they were killed…” Bora said as she frowned.</p>
<p>“They will help, they now know how dangerous he is. And I'm sure they want to get even a bit too…” Minji said as Bora nodded, and soon, she started making calls. Soon everyone was heading over to the café.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“we will tell Eunwoo separate from Moonbin. He didn’t handle Moonbin’s death well…” Bora said to Minji as the girl nodded.</p>
<p>“I remember the funeral. It looked like he was struggling…” Minji said with a frown as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“He was just starting to realize his feelings and lost Moonbin before he could do anything…” Bora said as Minji nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“it would be very difficult to lose the one you love before even getting the chance to tell them…” Minji said as she looked to her left, where Yoohyeon was clung to her arm. She refused to let go of Minji after remembering everything, and Minji wasn’t complaining one bit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“well, here we go…” Bora said as they walked into the café. They beat Dami and Gahyeon, but it was expected as they were farther away, and Handong said she had to get something and would be running a little late. So, the girls waited.</p>
<p>They sat down at the table that was gradually becoming their regular spot as they waited for the girls to get there.</p>
<p>“Should we tell them now or wait?” Yoohyeon asked as she watched Eunwoo walking around, taking orders.</p>
<p>“I think we should wait. That way, we deal with everyone at once. Well, except for Eunwoo’s friends.” Bora said as the others nodded.</p>
<p>Dami finally arrived, and Minji couldn’t help but look at the girl and smile<em>. ‘I didn’t know she had it in her. She planned on proposing before even Bora or me. Well,maybe I need to change that…’</em> Minji thought as she looked at Yoohyeon with a soft smile and gently squeezed her hand. Yoohyeon looked over at her with a questioning smile but Minji just shrugged as she smiled.</p>
<p>“Sorry it took us so long, what did you need to talk to us about?” Dami asked as she looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“you didn’t make her remember yet?” Minji asked as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“I wanted us to be there with them when they remembered,” Bora said as Minji nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“make us remember what?” Dami asked with a confused look as Bora looked at her apologetically. At that moment, Handong walked in and sat down at the table as she looked at the tense atmosphere. Bora had already talked to Handong, so she knew what was coming.</p>
<p>“well…” Bora said as she started filling everything in, and soon they were waiting for them to finish remembering. It didn’t take long before Dami looked over at Gahyeon with an indescribable expression. Sadness, love, everything was in this one look as she stared at Gahyeon and reached into her pocket.</p>
<p>Dami felt the small box that she had been carrying around for a while and looked at Gahyeon, wondering if it was the right time. Her thumb rubbing the smooth box as she thought of what to do. To build up her nerves.</p>
<p>“do it,” Bora said with a smile as she looked at Dami. The younger girl looked at her in confusion before Bora sneakily pointed at her finger as Dami’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“before you regret it later,” Handong said as Dami looked at her and nodded while she gulped nervously. She didn’t know how the two girls knew, but that wasn’t important at this moment. Right now, all that Dami thought about was Gahyeon as she turned to her. She carefully got the younger girl's attention.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon?” Dami asked softly as the table went quiet.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was flagged over by Moonbin as soon as he noticed the change at the table. They quietly watched with excitement as everything happened.</p>
<p>“I, I don’t know how to do this. you know I'm not good at speaking or expressing my emotions at times…” Dami said as Gahyeon smiled at her and held her hand to comfort her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“I know, and I know how you truly feel. You don’t have to worry about if you express yourself or not.” Gahyeon said as Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“I know, but I want to ask you something…” Dami said as she pulled the small box out of her pocket. Gahyeon’s eyes went wide as she looked at the ring box and quickly looked at Dami with a brow raised as if to ask. ‘is that what I think it is?’</p>
<p>Dami just nodded as she gulped and opened the ring box and held it out for Gahyeon to see.</p>
<p>Gahyeon gasped in shock as she noticed every little detail. Everything on the ring was something that Gahyeon had told Dami she liked over the time they have dated. She didn’t even think Dami was listening at the time. But Dami never forgot as she locked it away in her memory for this moment as she nervously removed the ring with shaky fingers and held it out to Gahyeon while blushing.</p>
<p>“There is an inscription… please read it?” Dami asked as she gently set the ring in Gahyeon’s palm.</p>
<p>Gahyeon just sat there for a couple of seconds, admiring the ring before carefully picking it up to read Dami’s message.</p>
<p>“you said I am your world, but you are my universe. Marry me?” Gahyeon read aloud as she looked at the beautiful ring as her eyes started to tear.</p>
<p>“so… what is your answer?” Dami asked nervously as she fidgeted in her seat. The suspense was killing her.</p>
<p>Gahyeon opened her mouth to answer her girlfriend, but the words wouldn’t come. Slowly she looked into Dami’s eyes and launched herself at Dami. Their lips connecting roughly as she kissed Dami deeply.</p>
<p>“So, is that a yes?” Dami asked a little breathless with a smirk as Gahyeon nodded as she wrapped her arms around Dami’s neck and kissed her again. This time more gently.</p>
<p>Bora and the others cheered as they watched Dami gently put the ring on Gahyeon’s finger. It was a perfect fit, as expected. Dami made sure every detail on the ring was perfect from size to every detail she knew Gahyeon would love.</p>
<p>Gahyeon couldn’t stop looking at the beautiful ring or Dami as she leaned against her fiancé happily as they waited for Bora to get up the nerve to talk to Eunwoo and Moonbin, but it looks like that time was approaching as the two brought over a cake to the table and set out small plates for everyone.</p>
<p>“We figured you all had something to celebrate. It's on the house.” Eunwoo said with a smile as Moonbin winked at Dami and Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo? Can we speak with you and Moonbin for a second? It's important…” Bora said before the two walked away.</p>
<p>Eunwoo and Moonbin slowly lowered themselves into the two empty chairs. All eyes were on them. They could tell that whatever Bora was going to tell them, it wasn’t good.</p>
<p>“Moonbin, you don’t know how happy we are to see you alive again…” Minji said as the two boys looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“what she means is…” Bora said as she explained everything. Moonbin seemed to be the first one to come back to himself as he looked over worriedly at Eunwoo. Soon Eunwoo was also back, and the first thing he did was lock eyes with Moonbin as a silence went between the two.</p>
<p>“I'm so sorry. I thought that the plan would work. I didn’t think that everyone would get hurt. I'm so sorry, Moonbin…” Bora said as Moonbin shook his head.</p>
<p>“it's not like you know what's going to happen. Besides, I chose to help you. And I will help you again. Luckily the repeat brought me back. I didn’t like living as a ghost…” Moonbin said as Eunwoo looked at him in shock.</p>
<p>“ghost?” Eunwoo asked as the girls and Moonbin nodded.</p>
<p>“it seems that Yoohyeon was a ghost as well on the last repeat. I wonder why…” Bora asked as Dami sat there thinking.</p>
<p>“a strong bond like love? Everyone knows how strong Minji and Yoohyeon’s love is.” Dami said as everyone nodded, but Moonbin just looked confused.</p>
<p>“but that doesn’t explain me…” Moonbin said as Handong smirked.</p>
<p>“maybe you have a love for someone so strong it kept you here? Who were you bound to?” Handong asked as Moonbin’s face flushed pink.</p>
<p>“I, I don’t remember…” Moonbin stuttered as he looked around, avoiding Eunwoo’s eyes.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was silent as he stared at Moonbin. Unsure of what to say or how to act. All of his memories came back to him, and with that, his feelings and he was unsure of what to do.</p>
<p>“I found out something from Mr. Lee. Dami’s father, that may help us catch Sanha and end this without anyone else getting hurt…” Bora said, snapping Eunwoo and Moonbin out of their inner struggles.</p>
<p>“what is it?” Eunwoo asked, but Bora shook her head. Can you call the others first? We will need their help.” Bora said as Eunwoo pulled out his cellphone and called them over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora had just finished telling Jinwoo, Minhyuk, and MJ about the last repeat when Minhyuk slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone seated.</p>
<p>“What kind of friend doesn’t even hesitate to shoot you!” Minhyuk shouted, making the regular customers jump and soon the café was starting to empty out as Minhyuk looked at Eunwoo apologetically.</p>
<p>“well, you may be able to get revenge, and this time, no illegal activities, but police work is needed…” Bora said as she looked at the three. That had their attention.</p>
<p>“what is it?” Jinwoo asked as he leaned in listening intently.</p>
<p>“well, first… it turns out that his protection mark is now worthless.” Bora said as Dami looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“wait, what?” Dami said as she looked at Bora in shock. “but I saw it myself!” Dami said, but Bora shook her head.</p>
<p>“your father checked it himself. It was of a gang that he chased out years ago. The one that forced Sanha to do all of the hidden camera work. Well, Mr. Lee says that there are signs of him dealing in both hidden videos and drugs to fuel his obsessions. The other thing is he thinks that Sanha may be taking some of his product.” Bora said as everyone looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“so, it would make his paranoia and his voices worse…” Handong said as she thought. “so, what is the plan, then?” Handong asked as she looked at Bora with an interested expression.</p>
<p>“well, Mr. Lee said that the gang split up into two and one branch is now operating in Seoul. That means that he is dealing and selling close by, and if you all can catch both him and the gang in the area, you would be able to take out Sanha safely and without killing him and also take a dangerous gang off of the streets.</p>
<p>“I'm sure my father would appreciate no more of his men being murdered too. They keep trying to make a statement by taking out the members that are harmless. They don’t dare go up against anyone that can fight back. They also seem unstable. It would really look good for you to be able to take them down, and if you keep my father's help a secret, maybe he can send his men to help or something.” Dami said as the boys looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“I thought that you aren’t involved in their business?” Eunwoo asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“This is what they talk about during family dinner,” Gahyeon said as everyone looked on in shock.</p>
<p>“around you? They aren’t worried?” Bora asked, but both Gahyeon and Dami shook their heads.</p>
<p>“They already know that they can trust me. When I first started dating Dami, some cops tried to get me to spy on them.” Gahyeon said as she smiled and hugged Dami.</p>
<p>“I would never do anything that would hurt Dami or her parents,” Gahyeon said as she kissed the older girl as she blushed at Gahyeon’s loving expression.</p>
<p>“Expect a lot of this, they just got engaged…” Bora said as she rolled her eyes at the two.</p>
<p>Enough business talk, and let's eat this cake!” Minji said as everyone laughed and started cutting the cake and just enjoying the moment before they started planning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the cake was gone and everyone seemed full, Bora had Dami pull out her laptop and gave her the flash drive that had all of the info about Sanha, and soon they were sorting through it until Bora found what she was looking for.</p>
<p>“look here, this was about the old gang, remember?” Bora said as she pointed at an article that talked about the gang and their murders as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“well now that they are back, they are trying to make a name for themselves. It also means that they are doing things that are a little riskier so that they can get their name out there again. It means they are sloppy and making mistakes.” Bora said as she looked at the officers that looked excited to actually be able to help and do police work instead of just being the backup.</p>
<p>“Jinwoo, you used to be on the gang task force. Can you get some info for us?” Minhyuk asked as Jinwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“easily, they actually want me to transfer back there. They will easily help us if we need them. Plus, bringing a case this big to them would be great motivation.” Jinwoo said but MJ interrupted him.</p>
<p>“but isn’t the whole reason that you left that unit is because you felt that there was a mole? Your old partner got killed going undercover, and it was all suspicious, right?” MJ asked as Jinwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“it's true, but the rat was caught a couple weeks later. Since then, there have been no issues.” Jinwoo said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“But why didn’t we hear about it then?” MJ asked, but the other two just shook their heads.</p>
<p>“because the chief didn’t want the media to know that there was corruption in the police force, so he just made the officer quit…” Minhyuk said with a scowl.</p>
<p>“But anyway, they will help. First thing s first. We need to learn his patterns. For once, we need to be the stalkers. We need to learn when he leaves and when he makes deals. If we can find that out, we can get him safely.” Jinwoo said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“now as for following him, I'm afraid we won't be able to help with that part. We will have to still patrol like normal and get in contact with the gang unit…” Jinwoo said as he tried to think of a plan.</p>
<p>“maybe my father has some information. Now that I know he isn’t protected, we can actually do something. Also, I'm sure that my father has been watching this gang closely. He may have some information for us if it means stopping them.” Dami said as she stood and made some calls.</p>
<p>“well, any information is helpful, but we need to remember how many lives are at stake right now. We need to also expect the worst.” Jinwoo said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“I can help too,” Handong said as Eunwoo’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“you will not!” he said as everyone looked at him in shock.</p>
<p>“I'm not going to let her best friend get hurt. I wasn’t able to protect her, but I won't let you get hurt. I will help. If he sees me, he might not get suspicious anyway.” Eunwoo said as Moonbin looked at him.</p>
<p>“if you are helping, so am I. no! Don’t even think of trying to stop me. I know I died, and I don't care. I'm helping. I'm not going to sit back while you put yourself in danger.” Moonbin said, and for once, his stare was intense as Eunwoo stared into his eyes and gulped before he looked away.</p>
<p>Moonbin smirked at the little victory, and he also didn’t miss the fact that Eunwoo’s eyes flicked to Moonbin’s lips. It was only for a second, but he didn’t miss it.</p>
<p>“did you miss me when I was gone?” Moonbin asked as he looked expectantly at Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“of course I did! I felt like dying instead of you! Why do you think I don’t want you to help? I don’t want to lose you again!” Eunwoo shouted and then froze, eyes wide as a blush crept across his face.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was shocked at the question and snapped as he commented it and regretted immediately as Moonbin beamed. His smile was bright as he looked at him.</p>
<p>Moonbin wanted to press him more but knew better and helped change the subject as Eunwoo looked like he would die of embarrassment.</p>
<p>“So, how are we going to stalk him?” Moonbin asked, but Dami was the one that answered.</p>
<p>“thanks to my dad, we won't have to do much. He is lending us some GPS trackers, so all we have to do Is follow the dots and take photos as proof. He is also going to see what info they have on Sanha and the new gang.” Dami said as she looked around.</p>
<p>“The main difficulty is placing the GPS trackers. I know I said no illegal activities, but it looks like I need to get inside there one more time, I need to place a virus on his computer and laptop so that I can have access to both his cameras and what he searches on them for clues. We can also use this as an opportunity to place some cameras of our own as well as the GPS devices.” Dami said as the others nodded.</p>
<p>“oh, uncle is here!” Gahyeon said as she went out to greet the man and flashed the ring. The man scooped Gahyeon up and spun her around.</p>
<p>“I take it he's excited too?” Bora asked Dami as she chuckled.</p>
<p>“I would guess so,” Dami said as she smiled happily.</p>
<p>“Now all we have to do is use the devices to our advantage and soon this will be over. We can get married with all of you there. Even the boys.” Dami said as Eunwoo and Moonbin smiled at her.</p>
<p>“All we have to do is end this…” Bora said as she watched Gahyeon walk in with the other three boys as they carried in boxes after boxes.</p>
<p>“what is all this?” Moonbin asked as he walked over and opened a flap of the box and stared in shock.</p>
<p>“um, is that what I think that is?” Moonbin asked as Dami leaned in and looked.</p>
<p>“yep. That is…” Dami said as she smiled.</p>
<p>“well, gear up, and let's get started!” Dami said happily as she started handing things out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Wipeout</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>The group quickly started gearing up, but when it came to the last box, everyone was nervous.</p>
<p>“oh, come on… you act like you have never seen weapons before!” Dami said as she and Gahyeon pulled out two guns and checked to see if they were loaded.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon! How do you know how to use one of those?!?” Bora shouted. She was shocked at how casually and comfortably Gahyeon handled the gun as she checked everything.</p>
<p>“Dami taught me. She was worried that something would happen to me and wants me to always be prepared.” Gahyeon said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“it's always better to be prepared. It makes me feel a little better than Gahyeon can protect herself.” Dami said as the others nodded.</p>
<p>Finally, Eunwoo walked over and pulled out a gun with a sigh and checked the bullets and froze. “these aren’t regular bullets…” Eunwoo said as Dami and Gahyeon grinned.</p>
<p>“no. No, they are not. If you notice come of the clips, have red on them and some blue. This is the way to tell apart what is what…” Dami said as she pulled out one clip that was blue and showed them the bullet that looked more like a dart.</p>
<p>“tranquilizer. It's rather strong and will knock them out rather fast. This one…” Dami said as she held up a red clip.</p>
<p>“this one is to mimic being shot. They do not travel as far, so remember this. It is like a paintball gun. But it will still hurt. Avoid the face or neck. This clip is to be used on Jinwoo and the others…” Dami said as everyone turned and looked at him as his eyes went wide. He pointed to himself in shock as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“in the worst-case scenario, we will need to look like we are running from the cops. Killing a cop will get us a lot of popularity from the new gang. Especially if it happens when we help one of their men escape…” Dami said as everyone finally understood the plan.</p>
<p>“so, some of us are going undercover to get closer to the gang?” Eunwoo asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“But how will they believe us?” Eunwoo asked. He didn’t like the smile Dami was giving.</p>
<p>“well, we are going to buy drugs from them and give the evidence to Jinwoo and the others. This will make it so that the gang task force knows that Jinwoo and the others actually have info that they need. Also, it will allow us to get closer to this gang and, in doing so, Sanha.</p>
<p>“I will need at least five people with me included. Who will help me? Just remember that this is dangerous, and they are unpredictable.” Dami said as Gahyeon, of course, raised her hand, followed by Eunwoo and Moonbin. The last one to raise their hand was Handong.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Dami asked as Handong smiled determinedly.</p>
<p>“yes, this is the least I can do for Eunwoo and for my best friend. For all of you too. But how are we going to pull this off?” Handong asked as Dami held out her specialized jacket with the panda on it.</p>
<p>“This is what the police will use to know not to mess with us. They will be able to know we are the undercover agents for Jinwoo when he shows them pictures of our jackets. Also, Eunwoo, what is on yours?” Dami said as she looked at him, staring inside the box.</p>
<p>“um… I don’t know?” Eunwoo said as he looked at his jacket. It was a mix of colors, and Dami recognized the style right away.</p>
<p>“ahh, I know who painted this… one second…” Dami said as she walked over to her bag and pulled out her blacklight and held it over the jacket.</p>
<p>Soon lines that were hidden before became visible. There on the back of his jacket was all of the groups' members animals in a circle, and inside the middle was a spider that was in its web that connected everyone together.</p>
<p>“ugh… why spiders…” someone asked as Dami giggled.</p>
<p>“because we all come to the café. It's like it draws us all here. Eunwoo brings us together. Also, I think my uncle didn’t want them to easily guess who the leader of our fake gang is.” Dami said as Eunwoo looked at the jacket and nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“they will think that even if you do all the talking, I may be the one actually behind you?” Eunwoo asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“them not knowing for sure who the leader is will make them more hesitant to try to screw us over. Also, we still need to place the cameras and GPS trackers. Eunwoo? Handong? I'm sorry, but we will have to retrieve her urn after. We can’t alert Sanha before then…” Dami said as the two nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“I understand. We can't let him get away. otherwise, what's the point of all of this?” Eunwoo asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“ok, so who doesn’t know how to ride? We need a crash course for everyone. These bikes can go where cars can't.” Dami said as Eunwoo Yoohyeon and Handong raised their hands.</p>
<p>“Alright, Bora? Let's go teach everyone, shall we?” Dami asked as everyone walked outside to see the many bikes in a row.</p>
<p>“Woah…” Yoohyeon said as she looked at her bike beside Minji’s. She still loved the look of it. There were even bikes for Jinwoo Minhyuk and MJ for when they need to get closer to the gang.</p>
<p>“I love that my uncle thinks of everything!” Dami said with a smile as the boys admired their bikes.</p>
<p>“one of the jackets for the three of us are police jackets. They know we are police. doesn’t it make them nervous?” MJ asked as Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“they know that if I trust someone, then they can be trusted. Plus, I'm sure they did background checks on the three of you.” Dami said as Bora and Minji laughed.</p>
<p>“they even know our underwear sizes, I'm telling you!” Bora said as Minji and Dami grinned.</p>
<p>“Well, let's go for a ride,” Dami said as she Bora and Minji taught the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“thank god they are all naturals. I was worried someone would scratch the paint on the first night!” Dami said as Bora giggled.</p>
<p>They had just gotten back to the café, and everyone was sitting around with their hair plastered against their faces from the sweat inside their helmets.</p>
<p>“even Yoohyeon did well. And she is a known klutz!” Bora said as Yoohyeon shouted indignantly while the others laughed.</p>
<p>“Well, it's almost time for us to start. Is everyone ready?” Dami asked as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“ok, Jinwoo, you go talk to the gang unit, and we will place the GPS trackers and cameras. Don’t give them too much information. But try to find out this new gang's favorite spots for drug dealing. Ok?” Dami asked as the boys nodded and walked outside to their cars.</p>
<p>“Now it's our time to leave, everyone ready?” Dami asked as she looked at Bora Minji and the others. They all nodded.</p>
<p>“Alright, then let's go!” Dami said as they all grabbed backpacks full of gear and got on their bikes and left without a word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami and the others pulled up in an alleyway near Sanha’s and got off their bikes. Dami liked the position because their bikes couldn’t be seen from where Sanha would be, and there was enough cover to get to the warehouse without being noticed easily.</p>
<p>“well, let's go. Remember to be quiet. We need a couple of lookouts. Minji, can you and Yoohyeon watch while Gahyeon Bora and I enter the apartment?” Dami asked as the girls nodded.</p>
<p>“Moonbin, same as last time, you think you can get away from him?” Dami asked as Moonbin smirked.</p>
<p>“easily. Go and get into position, and I will go deliver the fake package.” Moonbin said as the girls quickly ducked across the street and hid in the shadows safely.</p>
<p>“ok, I will be right back,” Moonbin said as he went to put on his helmet, but a hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him. Moonbin looked back questioningly. His eyes landed on Eunwoo, who looked extremely worried.</p>
<p>“wait. I need to do something…” Eunwoo said as Moonbin’s look of confusion went to panic as Eunwoo walked closer and his hand went to the back of Moonbin’s neck as he kissed the startled man with passion before letting him go just as quickly and walking to hide behind the two girls who stood frozen with their mouths hanging open from shock.</p>
<p>Moonbin shared that same expression until a gentle smile crept across his lips. Eunwoo didn’t say anything, but the kiss spoke for him. Moonbin had someone waiting for him when he returns. And his heart felt like it would explode from happiness.</p>
<p>He quickly winked at the girls who were still in shock and slid his helmet on and hopped onto his bike to bring it closer for his escape and placed a GPS tracker underneath Sanha’s car before he went up the long stairs to Sanha’s small apartment.</p>
<p>After about five minutes, Moonbin was racing down the side streets and alleyways, dodging Sanha while buying the girls some time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami and the others quickly went in, and while Gahyeon kept a close eye on the GPS tracker that marked Sanha’s location, they quickly got inside with Dami’s superior lockpicking skills and soon stood inside Sanha’s apartment. Bora couldn’t help but stare at the lone urn in the glass and frown. She couldn’t help but feel bad for leaving it behind. But if she didn’t, it could risk everything.</p>
<p>Bora still remembered how crazy Sanha got when they removed the urn last time, and they just couldn’t risk it. With her gloved hand, she gently laid it upon the glass in a silent apology before she walked away to help the others.</p>
<p>“we will get her back, you know? Before the police raid the place, we will switch the urns out. We won't leave her here. No offense to Jinwoo and the others, but I don’t trust the police with her urn.” Dami said as she patted Bora on the shoulder.</p>
<p>That seemed to snap Bora back to reality as she nodded and took the bag off of her back and started helping the others. Dami easily planted spying programs and viruses on his computers so that they could watch his every move, and soon, they were ready to go.</p>
<p>“make sure that everything you moved is put back in its original position. Remember, he is paranoid and can notice the slightest changes…” Dami said as everyone walked around one last time.</p>
<p>Gahyeon had a surprise for the others but didn’t want to tell them yet. They slowly walked into the warehouse as they planted cameras where they wouldn’t be noticed. That way, they would know when he would leave, and soon, every angle was covered.</p>
<p>“Alright, once we are safely out of here, I will tell Moonbin to lose him. Got it?” Dami asked as the others nodded.</p>
<p>The three easily snuck out of the warehouse and met up with Minji and Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“where is Eunwoo?” Dami asked. She felt something was wrong, but the girls reassured her that everything was ok.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo knew it would be any minute for you to come out and is in another position down the street. He will be able to see us leaving and make sure we are not followed. Maybe an ex-cop WILL come in handy after all…” Minji joked as Yoohyeon smiled.</p>
<p>“oh, I think that Moonbin won't mind his hands…” Yoohyeon teased as the three looked at each other in confusion.</p>
<p>“I will explain once we are back at the café. But fair warning. Expect Eunwoo to be acting awkward with everyone but especially Moonbin…” Minji said as she fought to control the giant grin on her face.</p>
<p>Quickly the girls made sure that their helmets were secure and started their bikes. They sped away while Dami called Moonbin.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Moonbin shouted when he answered the call on his helmet.</p>
<p>“hey, we are clear! Lose him and come back safely!” Dami said, and instantly, Moonbin accelerated and started to try to lose him. Sanha was persistent, though, and wouldn’t be shaken easily.</p>
<p>The bike was zipping through the alleys, and soon, he was approaching the area that he and Bora raced on.</p>
<p>Moonbin had led them there on purpose. He wanted an area that he knew, and when he went to get water for Bora that night, he found the perfect place to escape his once friend.</p>
<p>Moonbin finally recognized his surroundings. He knew that he was coming up on the turn that caused Bora to have a panic attack and braced himself.</p>
<p>If Sanha was as predictable as Bora said with his driving, he would try to run Moonbin off the road right at the turn.</p>
<p>It was now seconds away, and just as expected, Sanha made his move. Moonbin gunned his bike and just barely dodged it. Causing Sanha to almost run off the road instead, but by some bad luck, he managed to jerk the wheel just in time, and soon, the chase was continuing.</p>
<p>‘just up ahead…’ Moonbin said to as he prepared himself. ‘there isn’t enough time for even the slightest error…’ Moonbin thought as he prayed for his plan to work, to get back to Eunwoo in one piece.</p>
<p>Finally, he spotted the alley he needed to turn on, and with a turn that left him drifting as he leaned skillfully around the corner, it was now mere seconds to line his bike up and gain enough speed.</p>
<p>‘please, let this work!’ Moonbin thought as he revved his bike and went up on one wheel. There was what looked like part of some scaffolding from one of the buildings nearby, and it allowed a small ramp over the small brick wall separating the alley from the street behind it.</p>
<p>The tire front tire was not lined up perfectly, but his back tire was. When he went up on one wheel, the back tire just barely lined up in time as the bike flew up the ramp and over the small wall.</p>
<p>Sanha’s car turned down the alley and thought that the biker was trapped and went to slow down, but instead, he watched as Moonbin jump the wall.</p>
<p>Moonbin could swear he could hear Sanha’s curses even now, and he was now several blocks away from him while speeding safely heading home.</p>
<p>Once Moonbin was a safe distance away and was confident that Sanha hadn’t found him again, he called Dami.</p>
<p>“Dami? I lost him, and I'm on the way back.” Moonbin said as he heard Dami sigh in relief before pausing.</p>
<p>“is Eunwoo with you?” Dami asked as Moonbin let go of the gas for a second and asked her to repeat the question.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo went after you worrying that it was taking you too long. We can't get ahold of him…” Dami said as Moonbin screeched his bike to a halt and pulled out his cell and opened up the tracker app.</p>
<p>“shit! He's heading right where Sanha will probably be!” Moonbin said as he quickly clicked his phone onto the holder on his handlebars and quickly spun the bike around and sped away, desperately trying to get to Eunwoo before Sanha does.</p>
<p>Moonbin’s driving now was extremely reckless as he zipped through spaces that were just barely wide enough and even going on the sidewalks until he spotted the bike he was looking for. Sadly, so did Sanha. The car was just behind him.</p>
<p>Fury flared in Moonbin’s chest as he accelerated, and with one arm, he unzipped his jacket and reached in and felt the holster that held the gun with tranquilizer bullets and pulled up alongside Sanha’s driver side window.</p>
<p>With one powerful swing, Moonbin used the butt of the gun to smash Sanha’s window. The younger boy flinched and covered his eyes from flying glass with his left arm before looking over to stare down the barrel of a gun.</p>
<p>Panic washed over Sanha as he stomped the breaks and cut the wheel. The panic allowed Moonbin enough time to speed along and catch up to Eunwoo.</p>
<p>The sight of Moonbin safe made Eunwoo sigh in relief, and he quickly followed Moonbin as they escaped safely. Or so they thought.</p>
<p>Sanha was only angered and soon was back on their tail.</p>
<p>“shit!” Moonbin screamed as he accelerates and protected Eunwoo from Sanha’s attempts at running him off of the road. All Moonbin would have to do is turn around and aim the gun at Sanha, and he would swerve away slightly protecting Eunwoo in the process.</p>
<p>They sped down the road, and finally, Moonbin spotted another jump. He signaled Eunwoo, and he quickly understood. With a rev of the engine, Eunwoo jumped over a guardrail to safety. Now it was Moonbin’s turn. But sadly, it didn’t work out as planned.</p>
<p>Sanha just barely managed to clip the back tire of Moonbin’s bike causing him to fight to control his bike, he sent on his side as he slid bike and all underneath the guardrail and then continued to roll several feet after the bike stopped.</p>
<p>Eunwoo screamed as he looked at Moonbin slide under the rail and separate from his bike and roll several feet into the grass and then still.</p>
<p>There was no movement. Panic washed over Eunwoo as he hopped off of his bike and ran over to Moonbin. Luckily the boy was finally starting to come around as he struggled to get his arms and legs underneath him, but he was still too stunned from the wipeout.</p>
<p>“cellphone… don’t leave it on my bike…” Moonbin said as Eunwoo turned around to fetch the phone. He tucked the phone inside his jacket and quickly ran back to Moonbin.</p>
<p>“We have to move! Now!” Eunwoo shouted as he hooked his arm underneath Moonbin’s and heaved. He was able to get Moonbin up and stagger over to Eunwoo’s bike. With some help, the two were now on the back of Eunwoo’s bike, and he knew he didn’t have much time before Sanha would find a way around and find them.</p>
<p>Quickly Eunwoo sped off, trying to find his way home. Luckily, he finally recognized where he was and managed to safely arrive at the café. But not without looking over his shoulder every couple of seconds.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora and the others waited nervously inside the café waiting on its owner. They tried to call Moonbin, but it went right to voicemail, and that worried everyone. They couldn’t help but fear the worst.</p>
<p>Bora was sitting at a table drumming her fingers on its surface when the back door banged open. Everyone jumped up in a panic to turn around and see Eunwoo struggling to carry Moonbin inside.</p>
<p>“What happened?!” Bora shouted as Handong and Minji instantly ran over to help.</p>
<p>“I went looking for him when I found Sanha instead. He was just crazy. He was going after anyone on a bike. I got his attention and ran…” Eunwoo said as the three eased Moonbin into one of the booths in the corner after pulling the table away. It was the largest thing that they could comfortably set him on.</p>
<p>As soon as Moonbin was set down comfortably, Handong turned to Minji and Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“first aid kit. Now, please?” Handong said as her personality shifted. Eunwoo froze, but Minji didn’t as she ran into his back office to fetch the first aid kit and was back in seconds.</p>
<p>Handong quickly opened it up and pulled out a pair of bandage scissors and tried to cut the clothing away before remembering that it was blade resistant and swore.</p>
<p>“We need to carefully remove the jacket… pants too…” Handong said as she signaled Eunwoo to come over.</p>
<p>“now, please? We don’t have time to waste if it’s worse than we can see.” Handong said, causing Eunwoo to rush forward and carefully try to remove the jacket.</p>
<p>Moonbin cried out in pain when his left arm was moved, and Handong made a mental note of it. It was either his shoulder or his arm itself that is hurt or broken, so Handong needed to be careful when moving the arm.</p>
<p>“pants next. I will check his arms and torso while you do that.” Handong said as she moved closer.</p>
<p>Moonbin was wearing just a thin tank top underneath the jacket due to the heat, and luckily, she cut through it easily but winced as she looked at the purple bruises on his ribs where it looked like he collided with the handlebars or something else.</p>
<p>Next, she looked at his arms, the right collarbone and shoulder showed some wicked bruising, but after carefully probing the area with her cold fingers, she was confident that it wasn’t broken, just bruised. Of course, this couldn’t be confirmed without an x-ray, but they would take him to the hospital later anyway.</p>
<p>His left forearm was also bruised and hurt when he rotated it. It could either be a strain or sprain, but luckily, she believed it too wasn’t broken.</p>
<p>Eunwoo, with the help of Minji, managed to get Moonbin’s pants off, and Handong moved down to examine his legs.</p>
<p>There was minor bruising expected from a wipeout, but luckily the only possible break was to his right shin where the bike landed on top of it. There was also a lot of bruising and scrapes where the pants leg lifted up while sliding, but nothing looked life-threatening.</p>
<p>Handong sighed in relief and looked back at the others. They all looked at her with varied looks from shocked to impressed.</p>
<p>“what?” Handong said as she looked at the others.</p>
<p>“you sounded like a doctor. As you went over everything, you spoke aloud to yourself, and it sounded like I was watching a medical drama…” Yoohyeon said as Minji nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“I'm not a doctor. I only started getting into medical school when I got the call that my best friend was killed. I dropped everything to come here. So, I don’t know much, and we still need to take him to a hospital. His leg is either broken or has a serious sprain.” Handong said as everyone nodded but still looked impressed.</p>
<p>“so, he is going to be ok?” Eunwoo asked. Handong just nodded. She knew that Eunwoo had more medical training than she did. But right now, he was too emotional to remember any of it.</p>
<p>“yes, he may have a splint on his arm and leg for a bit, but he is ok,” Handong said as Eunwoo let out a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>Dami disappeared as soon as Eunwoo came in with Moonbin and went to her laptop. Every bike had a GPS on it just in case someone would attempt to steal it. When she logged in, she noticed that the location was stationary and seemed to be where the accident happened. With a sigh of relief, she looked at Gahyeon, who followed her into the room.</p>
<p>“feel like a midnight ride?” Dami asked as Gahyeon nodded.</p>
<p>“he's ok by the way,” Gahyeon said as Dami sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“Good, now let's go retrieve his bike. If its ridable, you will drive mine, and I will drive his just in case a tire blows. I have more experience with that than you. And if the bike is unrideable, I will have my uncle pick it up. Sound good?” Dami asked as Gahyeon nodded and smiled as she hugged her girlfriend tightly.</p>
<p>“he really is ok. And it's not your fault. He knew it was risky and led Sanha on a chase anyway…” Gahyeon said as Dami sighed and leaned into Gahyeon’s arms.</p>
<p>“yes, but I should have kept better tabs on Eunwoo. He just lost Moonbin, so of course, he would be hesitant to leave him alone… I'm so stupid…” Dami said as Gahyeon turned her face to look at her.</p>
<p>“you are not stupid. You are the one that is the key to all of this. you found the cameras, you got us in to get the urn… you do so much, so, please don’t talk bad about yourself like that. I know you still blame yourself for some things, but it was never your fault. Even what happened in your past. Ok?” Gahyeon asked as Dami sighed in defeat. She knew that Gahyeon was right, but she just felt so guilty that someone got hurt on something she gave them.</p>
<p>Slowly Dami leaned in and rested her head on Gahyeon’s shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Gahyeon’s waist and held her with Gahyeon gently stroking her head until her nerves calmed.</p>
<p>“feel better?” Gahyeon asked as Dami finally nodded and leaned back to look her girlfriend in the eyes.</p>
<p>“Good, then let's go get a bike, shall we?” Gahyeon asked as she held her hand out. Dami took it as they walked out of the room and disappeared without the others noticing. They were too caught up with Moonbin and Handong to notice anyway.</p>
<p>“helmet. Safety first…” Dami said as she waited for Gahyeon to finish adjusting her helmet, and soon, they were off into the night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. The Drug Deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Dami and Gahyeon traveled quickly across the streets until they came close to where Moonbin’s bike was, they slowed down and kept an eye out just in case Sanha was still in the area. The possibility of him casing out the bike was large.</p>
<p>Luckily there were no signs of him as they safely drove up to the bike and cringed.</p>
<p>“thank god he took one of the black bikes and not his bike that my uncle designed especially for him…” Dami said as she hopped off her bike and walked over to the bike that was lying on its side.</p>
<p>“it looks like he may have had his phone on its holder, message the others to see if they have his phone. Otherwise, it could be bad…” Dami said as Gahyeon pulled out her cell and started texting away.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo has it. When he ran to Moonbin, he told Eunwoo to go get his phone first.” Gahyeon said as Dami smiled under her helmet.</p>
<p>“good call Moonbin!” Dami said just loud enough for Gahyeon to hear her but not loud enough for anyone that would walk by to hear.</p>
<p>“well, let's see if this will start. I'm actually surprised no one has tried to steal it…” Dami said as she righted the bike with a little struggle and checked to see if everything was ok.</p>
<p>“Luckily, it looks like it is still drivable, we just need to see if it will start…” Dami said and quickly started the bike.</p>
<p>Dami sighed as the bike roared to life and looked at Gahyeon. Quickly her girlfriend slid forward and was ready to drive Dami’s bike home.</p>
<p>“I just need to test It a bit, and then we will leave…” Dami said as Gahyeon nodded and watched Dami drive off.</p>
<p>She went around the block to test the steering, and luckily it was fine, just a little scratched up. She sighed in relief as she returned to Gahyeon and signaled her to move out.</p>
<p>They drove carefully on the way to the wipeout spot, but the two felt paranoid once they retrieved Moonbin’s bike, causing them to race home while taking the long way just in case they were followed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Dami and Gahyeon returned, they noticed that the café was empty. As they looked around, the two found a note lying on the table.</p>
<p>“We are taking Moonbin to the hospital and will be right back, wait for us…” Dami read as she nodded and sat down at one of the tables and took off her helmet with a happy sigh. Her hair was glued to her face, and gently, she fluffed her hair. Gahyeon had to admit that she was a little mesmerized by this as she watched her girlfriend also take off her jacket. The sweat highlighted Dami’s jawline and collarbones that were exposed due to the low neckline of her plain white shirt, and Gahyeon couldn’t help but gulp.</p>
<p>Dami was oblivious to all of this as she crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair, enjoying the cool ac of the café. Her head leaned back with her eyes closed. Gahyeon looked at Dami’s gorgeous side profile and smiled as she took off her glove and looked at the delicately beautiful ring on her finger and smiled.</p>
<p><em>‘soon, she’s going to be mine…’ </em>Gahyeon thought to herself happily as she looked from the ring and to Dami’s peaceful face.</p>
<p>Dami opened her eyes and looked over to her girlfriend to watch her admiring the ring and smiled sweetly.</p>
<p>“I'm glad you like it,” Dami said as Gahyeon jumped at the break in the silence. She met Dami’s eyes and blushed at the sweet look Dami was giving her.</p>
<p>“I was worried you wouldn’t like it…” Dami said as she looked away nervously. Gahyeon couldn’t help but giggle.</p>
<p>“How could I not love it? You remembered every little time I said I love something about a ring and made sure that this one ring had all of it. It shows you really listened even from the beginning. It shows how much you care. How can I not love it?” Gahyeon said as she looked over at Dami and smiled the smile that always made Dami’s heart ache with happiness.</p>
<p>The older girl stood up and walked slowly over and sat on Gahyeon’s lap, causing the girl to squeak in surprise as Dami gently wrapped her arms around Gahyeon’s neck and kissed her gently.</p>
<p>As she pulled away, she looked into Gahyeon’s eyes with an intensity that made the younger girl blush.</p>
<p>“I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Even when you found out about my family, you never viewed or treated me differently. I was always the same person in your eyes, and you don’t know how much that means to me…” Dami said as she gently put her fingers under Gahyeon’s chin and made her look up into her eyes.</p>
<p>“once this is over, I want us to get married. It doesn’t matter if it's just with the two of us or a big wedding. As long as it's you, I'm happy. So, let me know what you want. I want to give the world to you if I could. You mean everything to me…” Dami said as she held her stare that made Gahyeon melt.</p>
<p>“oh, so cheesy!” Bora shouted as she entered the café loudly. She was trying to give the two enough time just in case they weren't decent, and Dami just laughed as she blushed and climbed off of Gahyeon’s lap.</p>
<p>“how is Moonbin?” Dami asked as the one in question hobbled into the room.</p>
<p>“annoyed!” he said as he hobbled over to a chair and flopped down.</p>
<p>Dami raised a slender brow as she looked at Bora. The older girl just rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“he's been pissy after they told him he couldn’t ride his bike for a couple of weeks…” Bora said as Dami nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“at least they said you could still ride after this, so that’s something to look forward to,” Dami said as Moonbin sulked.</p>
<p>“when he's injured, he turns into a big baby, there's no use trying to reason with him,” Eunwoo said as he walked in carrying the crutches that they were pretty sure Moonbin should have been using to walk with.</p>
<p>“Seriously, you are such a big baby when they give you pain meds…” Eunwoo said as he looked at the sulking man sitting in the chair and laughed as he set the crutches beside Moonbin. He pushed them over, causing them to fall on the ground as Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“you ever see the videos of cats knocking things off tables? That’s what he's like with these crutches…” Eunwoo said as he stepped over the fallen crutches and walked behind the counter and started making drinks for everyone.</p>
<p>“oh, I forgot to tell you in the note, but Jinwoo said he will be coming by with the others to tell us how the meeting with the gang unit went. Also, Minhyuk talked to the drug unit to see if one group had more info than the other. Hopefully, it will lead to some good news.” Eunwoo said as Dami smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>“So, while we wait, here are some drinks,” Eunwoo said as he sat down a tray. Dami looked around and noticed that they were still missing some people and looked at Bora with a curious expression.</p>
<p>“oh, Handong Yoohyeon and Minji are getting food for everyone. They should be here any minute.” Bora said as Dami nodded and sat down to sip the drink Eunwoo prepared for her and sighed happily. He learned real quick what drink was every girls’ favorite and made sure that they were perfect.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A couple minutes later, Yoohyeon entered asking for a supply cart, which Eunwoo lent her with a bit of suspicion. The three soon came in with a cart loaded with all kinds of food. The others gave them a strange look as Minji laughed.</p>
<p>“These two got in an argument on what everyone would like to eat. In Chinese… all I know is they settled on getting both, and they have a bet to see what one is eaten the most…” Minji said as she rolled her eyes and helped the others set the food on the tables that they scooted together.</p>
<p>“Wow, that’s a lot of food…” Bora said as she admired the table. It seemed like the argument was benefitting everyone. There was everything from black bean noodles and sweet and sour pork to pizza and chicken and, of course, beer.</p>
<p>“damn…” Dami said as she sat down and looked up at Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>“you planning to feed an army?” Gahyeon asked as she and Handong nodded.</p>
<p>“did you forget that the boys are coming? According to Eunwoo, they eat like crazy, I wanted to be sure they wouldn’t go hungry…” Handong said as the others smiled.</p>
<p>“well, they need to hurry up because I want to eat!” Bora said as she eyed the food as everyone laughed.</p>
<p>“they are a couple of minutes away. I just messaged them.” Eunwoo said as he set out the other drinks and sat down beside Moonbin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Luckily the boys arrived on time because Bora was threatening to eat it all without them if they were even a minute late.</p>
<p>Bora cheered as they entered and started digging into the food as they laughed and sat to join the others.</p>
<p>“oh, I have to tell you what we found out!” Jinwoo said around a chicken leg, but Eunwoo shook his head.</p>
<p>“food first, info later,” Eunwoo said as Jinwoo nodded and ate happily. Even MJ was silent for once as they ate.</p>
<p>Once all the food was gone, and Handong was smiling wickedly at Yoohyeon, everyone sat back and looked at the boys to hear what they had to say.</p>
<p>“guess that it’s time for us to give you the news,” Jinwoo said as he sat up and looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“I went to the gang unit, and they say this new gang is making waves, they have started even killing members of rival gangs as a way to try to make a name for themselves. They also are selling drugs extremely cheap to take away customers from the older, more established gangs. But one problem is…” Jinwoo trailed off and looked at Minhyuk to continue.</p>
<p>“but they are using subpar drugs and cutting them with toxic materials. The number of overdoses and drug-related deaths has spiked significantly in recent weeks. All signs point to this new gang and their dangerous products…” Minhyuk said as he pulled out a sample from his pocket and some paperwork from his bag.</p>
<p>“This, this is a drug test kit. You put in a sample and crush the vials inside, and the color will tell you what drug it is…” Minhyuk said as he showed them how to do it. When he cracked the vials, the color changed and showed a vivid blue.</p>
<p>“This shows what drug it is, and by the color, it's rather pure… but look at this one…” Minhyuk said as he pulled out another drug sample. The white color seemed slightly off compared to the first one, and the second drug test proved it as the color was a dull and muddy looking blue.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what it is mixed with, but it is killing people, and they don’t seem to care until they make a name for themselves…” Minhyuk said as he put all of the drugs and test kits in a large bag and put it back in his work bag.</p>
<p>“This shows a lot of chemicals in this, and it seems to be the gang's signature mix, if Sanha is caught with it or trying to deal with it, we have him. Thank god this gang is so cheap. It’s just sad people are being killed for taking this shit…” Minhyuk said as he frowned and looked at the others.</p>
<p>“the drug squad has heard rumors of a new gang starting to deal under an overpass late at night… this may be the chance we need.” Minhyuk said as Moonbin let out a sigh of frustration.</p>
<p>“don’t even think about it, you are not going,” Eunwoo said with a determined glare as Moonbin sulked in his chair.</p>
<p>“lovers quarrel?” Jinwoo whispered to Bora as the girl snorted and nodded.</p>
<p>“he wants to go but wiped out on his motorcycle and can’t go until his injuries heal,” Bora whispered as Jinwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“But you know he's much more hardheaded than you know. Bet you he will show up at the location anyway. Expect a huge argument once he and Eunwoo leave. It’s been like this for years…” Jinwoo said as he looked at his friends with a tired expression.</p>
<p>“I suddenly feel sorry for you three…” Bora said jokingly as they watched the two argue before Dami got everyone's attention.</p>
<p>“so, you know where, but do you know when? We need to start making an appearance.” Dami asked as the boys nodded.</p>
<p>“they sell today and tomorrow under the overpass. I don’t know if Sanha will be there, but it is the opportunity we need. Any plans?” Jinwoo asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“a drug raid,” Dami said as they looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“wait, what? How is that helpful at all?” Jinwoo said as he looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“it’s helpful if we help the gang escape as another gang tries to run them off…” Dami said as she smiled at the others.</p>
<p>“and how would that help us? Plus, doesn’t that only work in dramas?” Jinwoo asked curiously.</p>
<p>“well, if we grab a couple of the main members on our bikes and take off with them while we are being ‘chased,’ we may gain some of their trust…” Dami said as he nodded.</p>
<p>“that’s very risky, though. What if they try to steal your bikes? After all, they are known for being unpredictable…” Minhyuk said as he looked at the girls with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“We won't go unarmed. Plus, they will know it when we ‘shoot’ the ones doing the raid.” Dami said as she showed the fake blood bullets.</p>
<p>“ok, this may work… but it's still a huge risk. everything about this screams that something will go wrong…” Jinwoo said as he looked at the girls with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“well, if it is going to happen tonight, we might as well go tonight. Everyone get ready, and I will call my uncle. They will play the raiding gang. Remember to have the paintball bullets in the gun. We don’t want one of my uncle's men falling off of their bikes, ok?” Dami said as she looked around the group. Everyone stood up except Moonbin, who was now ignoring everyone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was around twenty minutes later when they were all ready to head out. The group was on their special bikes and looked rather intimidating in their gear. Except for Yoohyeon. No one is afraid of a cute little fuzzy puppy.</p>
<p>“ok, Jinwoo and Minhyuk gave me the location and will be nearby just in case they need to come to our rescue. Holster and guns ready?” Dami asked as everyone nodded and patted their jackets.</p>
<p>“ok, well let's go then!” Dami said as she started her bike, and soon, she heard the other bikes roar to life as she smiled and took off.</p>
<p>Luckily the location wasn’t that far away, but it definitely wasn’t in the best area. They easily spotted several lookouts as they headed to the meetup spot that Jinwoo indicated.</p>
<p>Dami slowed down as they approached the location and watched as the group under the bridge started to move nervously as the brightly lit bikes pulled up. She knew that they had to be a very intimidating sight as they rolled up to the person that looked like they were in charge.</p>
<p>The person stepped forward nervously as he tried to look intimidating. Dami couldn’t see his face clearly as he had a mask over it.</p>
<p>Dami paid close attention to everyone around them as they started to get into position just in case Dami and the others went on the attack.</p>
<p>Dami cut off her bike, and so did Eunwoo as they walked forward.</p>
<p>Bora looked at the group nervously as she watched Dami and Eunwoo talking with the people under the bridge. Obviously, whatever Dami said, it made them more comfortable because soon there was an exchange going on as Dami put a white package into her jacket, and soon, the two were walking over to their bikes and hopping on when they heard engines revving.</p>
<p>Bora turned around to see several bikes coming around the corner. They looked like the people Dami’s uncle sent, and she quickly looked over to Dami for orders.</p>
<p>Dami went with her plan to confuse the others as to who the leader was as she looked to Eunwoo for orders. He quickly signaled them to get on their bikes and ready to move when the group started pulling out weapons.</p>
<p>“go now!” Dami shouted as everyone started to move in panic. They watched as the members of this new gang panicked obviously unprepared for a raid.</p>
<p>Dami sighed as she grabbed a girl that caught her attention during the drug deal. Everyone would look at her out of the corner of their eyes as the deal went down, and Dami was sure that she was someone of higher rank inside this gang.</p>
<p>The girl squeaked in panic before she realized that Dami and the others pulled people on their bikes as Eunwoo and Gahyeon pulled out their guns and fired shots hitting two of the riders. They acted well as they fell off of their bikes and went still.</p>
<p><em>‘this isn’t the first time they have acted before…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she grabbed someone and pulled him onto her bike, and soon they were off.</p>
<p>Eunwoo and Gahyeon were the only two that didn’t have riders as they gave suppressive fire while they were being chased.</p>
<p>It was several blocks later when Gahyeon pulled up beside Dami, signaling her that they weren't being followed anymore. Quickly Dami looked for an alley and cut down it. Once everyone was safely in the alley, they cut off their bikes and helped the people off.</p>
<p>Dami’s rider was giving her a death grip as she held her waist tightly, her face buried into the back of her jacket. She gently tapped her arm to signal that she was safe, and quickly, the girl was off of the bike and backed against the alley wall.</p>
<p>“Why did you do that?” the girl asked as Dami got off of her bike and walked over to Gahyeon and checked to see if she was ok.</p>
<p>“Hello?” the girl asked as Dami ignored her while Gahyeon reassured her that she was ok and slowly turned around to look at the girl.</p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t I? I would lose a seller that sells their product way cheaper than their competitors. Is that why that group tried to raid you?” Dami asked as the girl was surrounded by the ones the others managed to save.</p>
<p>“But WHY?” the girl asked as Dami shrugged as she wrapped her arm around Gahyeon’s waist.</p>
<p>“as I said, it's bad for business,” Dami said flatly as she walked over to her bike.</p>
<p>“you can get home from here, right?” Eunwoo asked as the girl nodded and pulled out her cell and started making a call.</p>
<p>“ok, then we are out of here. Until next time…” Eunwoo said as he hopped onto his bike and signaled the others to move out. They slowly pulled out of the alley and headed towards home.</p>
<p>As Bora followed Dami, she watched as the girl in front of her touched her helmet<em>. ‘she must be getting a call...’</em> Bora thought as they pulled up to the alley behind the café. After they all stopped and cut off their bikes, Dami stood there talking before walking inside with Eunwoo and soon ended the call to turn around to face the others.</p>
<p>“my uncle got the one that did the initial deal and took him in to question him. He will ask him and a couple others that he caught about Sanha as well.” Dami said as Yoohyeon looked at her with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“and then he will let them go, right?” Yoohyeon asked as Dami froze. Not sure if she should tell the truth or not, but luckily, Minji came to her rescue as she turned Yoohyeon to face her and smiled.</p>
<p>“of course, baby. What else would they do with them?” Minji said as she winked at Dami and walked her girlfriend over to a table and cuddled her cute girlfriend.</p>
<p>“And you thought I was the innocent one…” Gahyeon teased as she hugged Dami.</p>
<p>“well, yes, you were the baby until Dami corrupted you into a tattooed motorcycle-riding gun-slinging girl.” Bora teased as Gahyeon and Dami laughed.</p>
<p>“well, Jinwoo and one guy from the drug task force are on their way to pick up the drugs, so be ready,” Eunwoo said as he disconnected his cell and brought drinks over to everyone.</p>
<p>“that actually went easier than I expected…” Eunwoo said as he watched Minji looking around nervously.</p>
<p>“um, where is Moonbin?” Minji asked as Eunwoo suddenly looked guilty.</p>
<p>“um… I may have had Jinwoo arrest him… he's coming with them and is REALLY mad right now. I don't know what I will have to do to make it up to him…” Eunwoo said as the girls exchanged silent laughs with each other.</p>
<p><em>‘oh, I know what you will have to do, and I don’t want to be here for it…’</em> Bora thought to herself as she laughed and looked at the front doors as Jinwoo walked in with a stranger.</p>
<p>“hey!” Jinwoo said cheerfully as Dami opened her jacket, causing the new guy to tense expecting the worst only to have Dami hand him the unopened package of drugs with a brow raised.</p>
<p>“don’t mind him. He has had too many guns pulled on him. Think of it as PTSD.” Jinwoo said as Dami nodded and sat down.</p>
<p>“well, they seem to be starting to trust us right now. Hopefully, we can give you more tomorrow.” Dami said as he pulled out a drug test and tested the contents.</p>
<p>“where is Moonbin?” Dami asked Jinwoo as the officer tested the product, and Jinwoo just shook his head.</p>
<p>“handcuffed in the back of my car and mad as hell…” Jinwoo said as Eunwoo flinched and looked extremely guilty as he looked in the direction of the car.</p>
<p>“it matches that weird mix that this gang tends to sell. I can take this to the others and should get the ok tomorrow. Oh, prepare to be arrested…” the officer said, bringing everyone back on topic as he looked at the girls who gave him startled looks.</p>
<p>“what?” Minji asked as he smiled.</p>
<p>“Sorry, let me clarify. We will have to arrest you all with the others to make it look like you are not involved. We will also supply you all with fake IDs. That way, if the police pull up the ID, it will flag them to quietly let you go and not make a scene just in case you get pulled over or something.” He said as the girls sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“ok, so here is what we have planned. In the next day or two…” the cop started as he talked with Dami about their plans, and after a couple of hours and some very bord girls, they finally had a plan when Dami’s uncle called.</p>
<p>“in two days this Sanha kid is going to come and buy drugs as well as take some to supply whoever he sells to while also handing over any videos he has captured over the last week. This will be our chance. This gives you another day to make that gang trust you, and then you can crush him…” her uncle said as she smiled and thanked him sweetly.</p>
<p>“ok, this will happen in two days, ok?” Dami asked the officer as he nodded, and soon, he left with Jinwoo to go back to the station and set everything up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once he was gone, she signaled everyone closer, and soon, she was surrounded by her friends as she looked at them like a hound that has a scent.</p>
<p>“Sanha will be there to pick up drugs and turn in his videos in two days. We can catch him then if everything goes well… this is our chance. Let's not mess it up!” Dami said as everyone looked excitedly at each other and nodded.</p>
<p><em>‘two days… we can do this!’ </em>Bora thought to herself as she smiled evilly at the others. This was finally their time to do it right. To finally end this and she couldn’t wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Gaining Their Trust</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>They had two days to gain this new gang's trust and catch Sanha. Two days to do everything, and they started to feel the pressure as she sat at the table feeling overwhelmed.</p>
<p> If this plan went well, then whatever spell the journal cast would be broken, and Siyeon would be safe. And that is what mattered to Bora. But she couldn’t help but think that there just wasn’t enough time to get everything done that she needs to do. And she wasn’t the only one that felt that way.</p>
<p>As Bora looked around the room of the café, she could see that the others were starting to feel nervous. Not all was in a bad way, though. She could tell that some of them buzzed with nervous excitement, and she couldn’t help but feel both.</p>
<p>“alright… let's think about this…” Bora said as everyone looked at her while Eunwoo walked out to Jinwoo’s car to calm Moonbin down.</p>
<p>“We have to learn everything we can. Dami, did your uncle catch footage of your deal?” Bora asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“he said he will email it to me soon. We can give that to the drug squad when he gives us the ids in the morning.” Dami said as she nodded and paced around while thinking.</p>
<p>“that girl that you rescued, she seemed like she was the leader, right?” Bora asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Everyone would secretly look at her when a decision needed to be made. It seems to point to her being at least in charge of the drug dealing business. But the weird thing is she seems terrified… I don’t know if it was just the motorcycle that spooked her or what. But she felt terrified as she held onto me.” Dami said as Gahyeon huffed.</p>
<p>She didn’t like the thought of this girl clinging to her fiancé for dear life. That was Gahyeon’s job.</p>
<p>“what are you suspicious of?” Minji asked as she looked at the wheels turning in Dami’s head.</p>
<p>“well, some gangs use people that they view as expendable to run the more dangerous parts of their business. Ones that look like they wouldn’t be involved with such things. Sometimes they are forced into doing it by kidnapping them and getting them addicted to the products they need to sell. But that is bad for business. The person may take the drugs meant to be sold…” Dami paused, waiting for the info to sink in before continuing.</p>
<p>“while others kidnap them and just force them or hold someone, they hold dear hostage as a way to make them obey. This girl seemed to know nothing about what she was doing but just following orders. She also seemed terrified of anything going wrong. I wonder if this new gang is holding anyone dear to her…” Dami said as Eunwoo came back in with a still fuming Moonbin.</p>
<p>“if that’s the case if we can ensure her friend or family's safety, would she side with us and spill?” Eunwoo asked as everyone looked at him.</p>
<p>“that would be an inside informant that could help the cops. It would also prove that they kidnapped someone and used that to force this girl to do something against her will. It will get her a softer sentence, or if her info is good enough, she may even see no jail time.” Eunwoo said as Moonbin huffed beside him.</p>
<p>“This is a lot to do in two days…” Gahyeon said as Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“Not necessarily. We have the journal. Even if we fail, as long as we still have some pages, we can make this failure into success the next repeat.” Dami said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“ok, so the first thing is to get this girl's attention. Someone has to try to get closer to her, and I'm afraid that if its Dami Gahyeon would try to kill this girl out of anger.” Bora said as Gahyeon nodded her head exaggeratedly with a pout on her lips.</p>
<p>Dami laughed as she put her arm around Gahyeon and kissed her temple.</p>
<p>“I only have eyes for you. No worries.” Dami said as Bora gagged teasingly.</p>
<p>“I will do it,” Handong said as everyone looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“what? I'm the only one not in a relationship at the moment, so there will be no worries of jealous girlfriends.” Handong said with a shrug as they continued to stare.</p>
<p>“you couldn’t even say hi to me before this, but you are ok with hitting on a girl now?” Bora asked as Handong laughed and nodded.</p>
<p>“oh god… Siyeon is going to kill me… we corrupted you…” Bora said in mock sorrow as the others laughed.</p>
<p>"yes, you have. And how are you going to compensate me?” Handong teased as Bora laughed.</p>
<p>“free food at Minji’s shop?” Bora said as Minji’s head shot up in surprise.</p>
<p>“hey! Who said you could give free food at my shop? Besides, Handong was going to get food for free anyway, so think of another method to pay her back!” Minji said as Bora laughed.</p>
<p>“So tomorrow we have a busy day. Let's go home and rest for a bit and meet back here. I kind of lied to Siyeon and told her that the café was closed for the week, and I'm pretty sure she may be going through coffee withdrawals…” Bora said jokingly as everyone stood and started gathering their things.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora was walking towards her apartment when she noticed that Gahyeon was walking beside her.</p>
<p>“is something wrong?” Bora asked as Gahyeon as she gave a worried expression to the younger girl. Gahyeon just shook her head and smiled as she held up her hand as Bora realized what she had planned.</p>
<p>“where is Dami?” Bora asked as Gahyeon pointed behind her. Dami was creeping behind them on her bike. She was making sure that Bora and Gahyeon got there safely, and Bora couldn’t help but smile at Gahyeon’s protective girlfriend.</p>
<p>‘no, that’s not right. fiancé.’ Bora thought to herself as she smiled. She couldn’t wait to see Siyeon’s expression when Gahyeon gave her the news.</p>
<p>After the short walk to the apartment, Bora Gahyeon and Dami walked inside the building and headed towards her apartment.</p>
<p>Once the door opened, Siyeon came to greet Bora and was happy to see her sister and Dami standing there holding coffee.</p>
<p>“what brings you here?” Siyeon asked as she walked up and hugged her sister tightly. She could tell that something was up with the sparkle in her sister's eyes and the fact that Dami couldn’t look her in the eyes as her face flushed a soft pink.</p>
<p>Siyeon raised a brow as she looked at the two suspiciously<em>. ‘ok… something is going on… Gahyeon looks like a grinning fox…’</em> Siyeon thought to herself as she looked at the two and then looked to Bora, who was beaming.</p>
<p><em>‘she knows…’</em> Siyeon thought as she squinted her eyes and gave her a suspicious look.</p>
<p>“ok… spill. I can tell you want to…” Siyeon said as she smirked at her sister, who started bouncing excitedly.</p>
<p>“do you want to or me?” Gahyeon asked as she looked at Dami, but her blush darkened as she nervously looked at the floor.</p>
<p>“I guess that’s all the answer you are going to get from Dami right now…” Bora teased as she watched Dami shift from foot to foot nervously as she waited for Gahyeon to tell her the news.</p>
<p>Gahyeon had on a pair of gloves to hide the ring and slowly removed them as Siyeon’s eyes widened.</p>
<p>“no…” Siyeon said as she glanced excitedly at Dami. The younger girl's eyes only flicked to hers for a quick second before quickly looking away nervously.</p>
<p>“yes!” Gahyeon said as she removed the glove and showed her sister the ring. There was lots of excitement and screaming as the sisters jumped around excitedly as Bora walked over to Dami and tried to put an arm around the taller girl.</p>
<p>“so… you going to stop fangirling after my woman once you are married?” Bora teased as Dami laughed and looked at her.</p>
<p>“never. How can her fan club president just leave because of marriage?” Dami teased as Bora pouted.</p>
<p>“that’s it! Celebration! Bora? Get the beer! Oh, and call Minji and Yoohyeon over!” Siyeon shouted as everyone cheered, and soon, Bora called Minji and Yoohyeon to come over.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon and Minji arrived while dragging Handong along. The three were welcomed in as a mini party started, and it didn’t take long before all the girls were wasted and passed out anywhere that was soft enough to sleep on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the morning, the girls suffered horrible hangovers as they woke up one at a time with a groan. The girls were surprised just how much Handong could drink before she started feeling drunk.</p>
<p>Luckily Bora was smart enough to pull out her phone and film when the alcohol hit Handong as she walked around to each girl and kissed their cheek while professing her undying love to them.</p>
<p>But the sun forced them to wake up and face their massive hangovers as their heads pounded.</p>
<p>“who’s idea was it to drink?” Handong asked as Bora laughed before cringing.</p>
<p>“Siyeon’s… I should have known never to let her drink. She is so good at making others drink with those damn puppy eyes…” Bora said as Siyeon groaned and staggered out of the bathroom and into the kitchen as she shuffled along in her slippers.</p>
<p>“water...” she groaned as she got a glass of cold water and first held the cool glass to her forehead with a sigh before gulping down the whole glass.</p>
<p>“careful there… that’s not alcohol, you know…” Bora teased as Siyeon smiled and gave her girlfriend a glass of water to drink.</p>
<p>Luckily, they didn’t have much to do in the morning. Most of their plan was at night. So, Bora walked to the nearest pharmacy and got everyone something for a hangover and then picked up some groceries before heading back to the apartment to cook breakfast for the girls.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I figured we needed something to absorb all of the alcohol…” Bora teased as the girls walked around the kitchen to watch Bora finishing making pancakes.</p>
<p>“I still feel slightly nauseous, but I do want to eat those…” Yoohyeon said as she stared at the perfect stack of pancakes making the others laugh as she went slightly cross-eyed as a wave of nausea hit her again.</p>
<p>“ok, maybe eating isn’t the best idea right now…” Yoohyeon said as Minji rubbed her back soothingly.</p>
<p>“take the hangover medicine. You were in the bathroom when I came in.” Bora said as she pointed to the medicine with her spatula as she continued to finish cooking the last of the pancakes.</p>
<p>“my girlfriend is so sexy…” Siyeon said as she smiled and leaned against the bar to watch Bora’s cooking.</p>
<p>“if you think this is sexy, you should watch me dance!” Bora teased with a wink as Siyeon laughed.</p>
<p>“really? You dance?” Siyeon teased back as they smiled lovingly at each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a long breakfast, the large group split up to shower and try to rid themselves of the reek of alcohol.</p>
<p>Once the girls were showered and feeling alive again, they decided to meet up at Eunwoo’s café. They decided to talk together as they slowly made their way to the café, and that was when Dami noticed something. She had to ride her bike back to the café, but when she walked up to it, she noticed something didn’t look right.</p>
<p>“girls…” Dami said with a worried tone as she stared at her bike. The side of it that was away from most people had a package taped to it with painters’ tape.</p>
<p>“What is that?” Gahyeon asked as the others turned around and walked back to Dami and her bike.</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Stay back just in case, ok?” Dami asked as she looked at the package before gently removing the tape.</p>
<p>‘thank god they used a tape that is easy to remove and won't mess with my bike's paint…’ Dami thought to herself as she nervously set the package down and pulled out a small pocket knife and gently sliced the tape on the box before slowly opening it.</p>
<p>As Dami peaked into the package, she froze in shock before laughing and picking up a note from the small box.</p>
<p>“you helped me, so I guess I owe you. This is on me…” Dami read as she looked into the box and found a large block of something different. There was an odd odor from the block as Dami frowned in confusion.</p>
<p>“This is pot… I'm sure of it judging from the smell…” Dami whispered to the others and quickly put the item in her jacket and hopped onto her bike.</p>
<p>“I will meet you at the café, ok?” Dami said as Gahyeon nodded, and soon they walked quickly towards the café.</p>
<p>“They know where we live already… that or they recognized Dami’s custom bike. I'm not sure, but it worries me…” Bora said quietly as she walked over to the café and held the door open for the others as they filed in.</p>
<p>Dami was waiting for them with a grim expression as Eunwoo stood behind the counter on his phone. It looked like a serious call, and soon, he hung up and walked back over to Dami.</p>
<p>“Minhyuk is coming over to get a sample for the drug task force and for MJ to test. I'm curious if its more tainted product we need to alert people to be wary of…” Eunwoo said as he looked at the small brick on the table.</p>
<p>“well, we won't know until then. But you need to make sure that he is in plain clothes. If they recognized my bike, we don’t want him to alert them if they are watching us right now…” Dami said as she glanced around, but she spotted no one suspicious.</p>
<p>“alright. I will make sure to tell him. Be careful tonight. Ok?” Eunwoo asked as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“Handong, are you sure that you want to do this?” Eunwoo asked as he looked at the girl, but Handong just nodded.</p>
<p>“I'm sure. I came here to find out about my sister. I did, and now I want to help get the one that hurt her. A little flirting isn’t going to kill me.” Handong said as Eunwoo looked at her in understanding.</p>
<p>“Besides, she looks cute,” Handong said as everyone froze in shock.</p>
<p>“wait, what?” Dami asked as Handong looked at her.</p>
<p>“I thought you were straight?” Gahyeon asked as Handong raised a slender brow at her.</p>
<p>“and what made you think that?” Handong asked as everyone's minds went blank. They couldn’t think of anything that made them believe that. She didn’t really talk much about herself or past relationships.</p>
<p>“I, uh, I don’t know…” Gahyeon said as Handong smirked.</p>
<p>“I can't think of any reasons either. I guess because you never mentioned anyone, we just assumed… sorry.” Dami said as she looked down guiltily.</p>
<p>“Why did you think I had such a hard time saying something to you or Siyeon?” Handong said as Bora looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“I have a hard time talking to pretty girls,” Handong said as Bora’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“oh, I see how it is… just Bora and Siyeon? you couldn’t talk to us either, you know…” Yoohyeon teased as Handong laughed at her attempt at acting offended.</p>
<p>“ok fine, you too. Happy?” Handong joked as Yoohyeon nodded happily.</p>
<p>“you still sure this is ok? She may be dangerous…” Eunwoo said as Handong looked at him with a determined look.</p>
<p>“yes, I'm sure. We need to get ready in a couple of hours. Are you going with us tonight?” Handong asked as he nodded.</p>
<p>“I'm playing the role of the possible hidden leader, so I need to make at least another appearance. Yoohyeon and Minji will be taking the photos tonight. I hope everything goes well…” Eunwoo said as Handong grinned.</p>
<p>“I'm sure it will. The main thing you should worry about is keeping Moonbin away…” Handong said as Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“I can just have Jinwoo arrest him again if needed.” He said as Handong shook her head at him and walked off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We have company. Here comes Minhyuk.” Dami said as he entered the café with a nod. Dami walked over to greet him and showed him everything that they had and watched as he cut open the package and took two samples and skillfully managed to seal it back without it looking like it was ever tampered with.</p>
<p>“years working with the drug task force, and you get specific skills.” Minhyuk joked as he smiled and sealed the samples before carefully sliding them into his inner jacket pocket and ordered a coffee from Eunwoo before leaving with a pastry in his mouth as he headed back to work.</p>
<p>“well… now we wait. Until then, should we get our story straight? Oh, Eunwoo, isn’t that other guy supposed to get us our new ids?” Dami asked as Eunwoo looked startled and ran behind the counter, pulling out several large envelopes with the girls' names on it.</p>
<p>“here are your profiles. Your names and backstory. He also decided on the name of your ‘gang’ and seems really proud of himself. Don’t cringe when you read it, please? It's too late to change it. He has had them start spreading your backstory with his informants.” Eunwoo said as Dami groaned and opened the envelope with dread.</p>
<p>“nightmares? Really? What does that have to do with us? Even our jackets are animal-based…” Dami said as Eunwoo shrugged.</p>
<p>”I don’t know. He is a bit nerdy outside of work. That is the only thing I can say in his defense…” Eunwoo said as he shrugged his shoulders again.</p>
<p>“you didn’t even read the gang leaders title…” he said as Dami groaned loudly.</p>
<p>“the nightmare weaver? This goes with your jacket, right? The spider's web?” Dami asked as Eunwoo nodded as they both cringed at the name.</p>
<p>“They are spreading the rumor that there are two leaders one may be fake, or both may be decoys. It leaves it open for whatever you need to at the time.”  Eunwoo said as Dami nodded and read her profile.</p>
<p>“so, I still have the same name, but just born in a different location. To stop accidental name slipups?” Dami asked as Eunwoo nodded.</p>
<p>“number one way a new undercover agent gets themselves killed is slipping with a different name or not reacting to their fake name,” Eunwoo said as she nodded and looked over her papers thoroughly before putting her new ID in her wallet and storing her real one in Eunwoo’s register with the girls' other IDs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A couple of hours passed, and it was starting to grow dark as the girls stood up and stretched. They now knew their new backstory like the back of their hands and were preparing to get ready when Eunwoo’s phone rang.</p>
<p>“Hello? Oh well, that’s good to hear. From where? Hmm. That’s really interesting. Ok, bye…” Eunwoo said as he hung up the phone and looked at the girls.</p>
<p>“it's not a toxic mix. In fact, it is a very pure mix that must have cost a fortune. This isn’t from this new gang. If anything. Someone went out and personally bought you ‘the good stuff’ as MJ calls it.” Eunwoo said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“she is thankful to us… that’s a good sign. Now, all we have to do is release Handong on her. Maybe if we get her drunk, she will profess her undying love to this girl too and speed things along!” Dami teased as Handong smacked her with the file folder causing Dami to laugh.</p>
<p>“I could always say that you and Gahyeon are looking for a third… so be careful when teasing me… she seems to like you already after all…” Handong teased as Dami paled at the thought of someone approaching Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“I will be good…” Dami said as she turned around and started gathering her things.</p>
<p>“ok, no one get on Handong’s bad side!” Bora said as Handong smirked while slowly zipping up her jacket.</p>
<p>“is this shirt too see-through?” Handong asked as Dami looked over and almost spit her drink across the room.</p>
<p>“where the hell did you get a top like that?” Dami asked as Handong flicked her head to Bora.</p>
<p>“I should have known…” Dami said as Bora made an offended squeak as she zipped her jacket and put on her helmet.</p>
<p>Slowly they headed out as they followed the same path as yesterday to the underpass. This time, Yoohyeon and Minji broke away and went for the lookout spot that the officer marked for them while they watched the others riding up to the group.</p>
<p>Once they arrived, the gang reacted, but this time it was a different reaction than before. They greeted the girls with smiles and pats on the back in thanks as Dami and the others nodded and walked up to the girl.</p>
<p>“are you promoted now?” Dami asked as she laughed shyly as Dami flipped up her visor.</p>
<p>“Dami, how long are we going to be here,” Handong asked as she pulled off her helmet. She ignored the wolf whistles that happened after as she looked the girl in front of her up and down approvingly.</p>
<p>“Handong, you?” Handong asked, leaving the girl shook as she took her hand nervously and mumbled a name that she couldn’t quite catch.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, what?” Handong asked as she leaned in closely, leaving the poor girl blushing furiously as she let out a slight squeak and leaned back against the wall as Handong gave her a look like a wolf looking at its dinner.</p>
<p>Handong’s eyes flicked to the girl's lips just long enough for her to notice before looking back to her eyes with a smirk and leaned back.</p>
<p>“never mind, I don’t want to bother you…” Handong said with a wink as she walked back to Dami, who barely hid her stunned expression.</p>
<p>‘thank god for this helmet…’ Dami thought as she regained her composure and looked at the girl who was still flustered.</p>
<p>“so, should we make a deal?” Dami asked, snapping the girl out of her mini panic attack, and soon, she was back to her business expression as she walked over to Dami. But doing so, she had to walk past Handong.</p>
<p>As she did, Handong’s fingers just barely brushed against the girl's hand, almost soft enough to be her imagination. But the look Handong gave the girl told her that it wasn't all in her head. Handong winked as she walked over to her bike and leaned against it as she waited for Dami’s deal to end.</p>
<p>Once it was over, Dami nodded to the girl, and Handong gave the girl a wink as she slowly zipped her jacket back up. The girl looked like she was about to blackout at the sight of the see-through top with the delicate black lace bra beneath it.</p>
<p>“When did you open your jacket?” Dami asked as she looked over to Handong, who just laughed.</p>
<p>“While you were making the deal. You didn’t notice when the guys went silent?” Handong asked as Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“well, let's just say I had their undivided attention…” Handong said as she looked at Dami before they pulled off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once they were far enough away, everyone pulled over and surrounded Handong.</p>
<p>“where the hell did that personality come from?” Dami asked as everyone looked at her in shock.</p>
<p>“oh, did I not tell you that I studied acting and musicals before going to med school?” Handong asked as everyone shook their heads.</p>
<p>“well, I can tell you right now… acting is your calling! That or prostitute.” Yoohyeon said as Minji elbowed her as Handong laughed.</p>
<p>“so it wasn’t bad? I was worried that my acting was horrible.” Handong said as the girls shook their heads.</p>
<p>“I was so shocked that I would have blown our cover if it wasn’t for this helmet. Thank god I only lifted the visor and didn’t take the whole thing off…” Dami said as Handong laughed.</p>
<p>“well, let's get back to the café. Besides. I think we need to stake out your bike tonight to see if you are left any more gifts…” Handong said as Dami nodded, and soon they arrived at the café as they waited for Jinwoo or Minhyuk to pick up the new batch of drugs so that they could head home and rest.</p>
<p>Finally, he arrived and picked up the goods and handed over an angry Moonbin before walking out, and soon the girls headed home. Their hangovers finally catching up with them as exhaustion washed over them.</p>
<p>Dami quickly parked her bike and set up a camera before heading upstairs to crash at one of the girl's apartments.</p>
<p><em>‘we will see what happens in the morning… right now, all I can think of is bed…’</em> Dami thought as she was led into an apartment and crashed soon after.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. The Prank</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Dami woke up in a strange bed as she looked around her. Gahyeon was to her right side as she clung to Dami’s side, but there was a body to her left too. She carefully moved her arms and rubbed her sleepy eyes to get a good look at the other person beside her and quickly realized who was snuggled up on her other side. Handong.</p>
<p>Dami froze as she looked at the sleeping girl that was resting her head on Dami’s shoulder and went to wake Gahyeon for help, but she was shushed by her sleepy girlfriend.</p>
<p>“quiet, or you will wake up Handong…” Gahyeon said sleepily as she snuggled into the side of Dami’s neck, leaving the girl in a bit of a situation. She had two girls clinging to her, which was a change. Dami was usually the clingy one.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon…” Dami whispered pleadingly, and the girl snuggled deeper into Dami’s neck with a groan. She didn’t want to be woken up yet and protested as Dami continued to whisper her name pleadingly.</p>
<p>“what?” Gahyeon finally asked as she lifted her sleepy head to look at her girlfriend. She almost burst out in laughter when she first looked at Dami. Her eyes were wide in a panic. She was unsure of what to do and how she even got into this situation, to begin with.</p>
<p>That was when Gahyeon got an evil idea, and she just couldn’t help but go with it. She just hoped that Dami would forgive her later.</p>
<p>“what?” Gahyeon asked again as Dami looked at Handong’s sleeping face and then back to Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“How did this happen? What is going on?” Dami whispered in a panicked tone as Gahyeon rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“I'm still mad at you. You spent all night focusing on your new girlfriend and almost no time on your fiancé…” Gahyeon said as Dami’s eyes went wide in shock.</p>
<p>“I WHAT?” Dami whisper yelled as she looked at Gahyeon to see if she was telling the truth. The bad thing was that Dami wasn’t sure.</p>
<p>“p, please tell me you are joking…” Dami asked softly. It was hard for Gahyeon to keep up the joke. What made the situation worse was that Handong woke up to hear Gahyeon’s teasing and decided to go along with it.</p>
<p>While Dami looked away, Handong looked at Gahyeon and winked at her. The younger girl grinned, knowing that Handong was in on her joke and continued.</p>
<p>“who knew that you were into that kind of stuff too…” Gahyeon pouted while Dami looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“into what?” Dami asked as Gahyeon leaned in to whisper into her ear. Handong was close enough to make out what Gahyeon was saying and almost snorted, but she barely held it in as she bit her lip.</p>
<p>“I am NOT into that!” Dami whispered loudly as Gahyeon rolled her eyes. She was having fun with this joke as she watched her fiancé turn such a bright shade of red.</p>
<p>“Baby, what's all the noise? We still have some time to sleep…” Handong said sleepily as she snuggled closer to Dami, causing the girl to stiffen in surprise as she glanced down at Handong’s sleeping face.</p>
<p>Gahyeon was ecstatic that the joke was going so well. She knew she would be in trouble later, but right now, she just didn’t care as she looked at Dami’s flustered face.</p>
<p>Gahyeon leaned in closer so that her lips brushed against Dami’s ear. She knew that it was a weakness of Dami’s, and she immediately shivered and leaned her head away. Accidently leaning her head against Handong’s. Gahyeon pouted but continued to whisper in Dami’s ear as the girl shivered once again.</p>
<p>“I expect you to make it up to me tonight…” Gahyeon said as Dami flushed again and nodded automatically as Gahyeon smirked and snuggled back against Dami to get some more sleep.</p>
<p>Dami was lying there in a panic as the two girls fell back asleep on top of her. She refused to move so that she wouldn’t make any more mistakes that she obviously made in her sleep. She was praying that Gahyeon was teasing her, but Handong’s response threw her, and now she was unsure.</p>
<p>‘<em>please let this be a joke… there's no way I can handle two women. I only want one…’ </em>Dami thought as she smiled and looked at Gahyeon’s face.</p>
<p>The girl must be having a nightmare as her face scrunched up with a worried expression. Dami went to move to comfort her but quickly remembered Handong on her other side and froze while she frowned. Unable to soothe her girlfriend's nightmares and fears.</p>
<p>She sighed in frustration as she flopped her head back and looked at the ceiling. There was no way to fall back asleep now, so she may as well plan ahead what would happen today.</p>
<p>They had a lot to accomplish. Yoohyeon promised to watch her bike with Minji, and she prayed that the couple stayed up enough to actually watch it. Shortly after, a message chirped on their cellphones.</p>
<p><em>‘it must be our group chat…’</em> Dami thought as she looked for her phone. It was on the nightstand and two far away for her to reach. She sighed in frustration as another message went off.</p>
<p>Handong sighed an annoyed sigh as she sat up and reached for her phone and Dami’s as well. She handed Dami hers and quickly opened the app to silence it when she paused and had to reread the message.</p>
<p>“Dami… did you read what I just read?” Handong asked with a husky voice from just waking up. The girl had been clearing her old notices and hadn’t opened the group chat yet, but Handong’s tone made her quickly open the message.</p>
<p>MINJI</p>
<p>It looks like we made a friend while watching your bike last night!</p>
<p>[photo]</p>
<p> </p>
<p>YOOHYEON</p>
<p>She's looking for Handong… I wonder why…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami had to reread the message as she glanced at the girl from the drug deal, posing with Yoohyeon and Minji for a picture. Judging from the background, they were in Yoohyeon and Minji’s apartment.</p>
<p>“fuck! She’s in their home! What the hell is happening?” Dami asked as she and Handong sprung out of bed, leaving a sleepy Gahyeon grumbling on the bed.</p>
<p>“Should we wait for her?” Handong asked as she signaled to Gahyeon, but Dami shook her head.</p>
<p>“she might slip if she’s over there while still sleepy,” Dami said as Handong nodded in understanding as she pulled on another shirt that Bora gave her for their plan leaving Dami’s jaw on the floor.</p>
<p>“you sure that isn’t just lingerie, and Bora isn’t just fucking with you?” Dami asked Handong as she laughed and looked at Dami with a grin.</p>
<p>“you didn’t seem to mind it last night. This still counts as clean, right? I was only wearing it for a couple minutes before you took it off of me anyway.” Handong said as Dami turned a vivid red and fled the room quickly.</p>
<p>As soon as Dami was out of the room, Gahyeon laughed hysterically on the bed as she applauded Handong.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon was right. You could do great as an actress or a prostitute!” Gahyeon said as both girls laughed.</p>
<p>“rest a bit more here. We are going to find out what's going on at Minji’s apartment. My future girlfriend is over there…” Handong said as Gahyeon dove for her phone and looked at the message.</p>
<p>“what the fuck?” Gahyeon said as she looked at the picture.</p>
<p>“I know, right? We will find out, and I will message you what we find. Ok?” Handong said as Gahyeon flopped back in the bed with a frustrated sigh and covered her face with the covers.</p>
<p>Handong giggled as she walked out and closed the bedroom door to allow the girl to sleep in peace as she met Dami by the door. She was waiting for Handong before leaving.</p>
<p>“ready?” Dami asked as Handong shrugged.</p>
<p>“can you really be ready for this kind of situation?” Handong asked as Dami laughed.</p>
<p>“ok, true. Well, let's go then.” Dami said as she opened the door for Handong and quickly closed it, and soon, they were knocking on Minji’s door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Minji opened the door to see Dami and Handong giving her a worried look. She stepped outside the door and closed it to speak with the two before letting them in.</p>
<p>“We found her last night. Turns out, she lives down the street. She doesn’t seem like the drug dealer type, and you may be right about someone she cares about being held hostage. She seems terrified. She gifted you the drugs because she didn’t know anything else you liked besides drugs. She's sweet.” Minji said as Dami looked at her with a strange expression.</p>
<p>“did you blow our cover at all?” Dami asked as Minji huffed.</p>
<p>“NO, we still stuck with our backstories. We didn’t want to do anything else without asking you first. We aren’t idiots, you know…” Minji said as Dami gave her an apologetic look.</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was accusing you of not being able to keep your cover, I just didn’t want to lose her trust if I stuck with our cover story if you ended up telling her the truth to get her to trust you…” Dami said apologetically as Minji smiled.</p>
<p>“ok, then, I guess I forgive you. Handong, isn’t that the lingerie I gave Bora last year?” Minji asked as Handong laughed while Dami shouted.</p>
<p>“see! I told you that it was lingerie!” Dami shouted as Handong laughed and shrugged.</p>
<p>“I don’t mind it. I kind of like it honestly.” Handong said as she leaned over to whisper into Dami’s ear.</p>
<p>“and I can still remember you removing it from my body with your teeth…” Handong said as Dami’s eyes went wide, and her face turned so red that Minji swore she could feel the heat radiating off of it from where she stood.</p>
<p>“ok… whatever is going on… I don’t want to know about it!” Minji said quickly as she ducked inside while Handong followed her, leaving Dami to freak out in the hallway until she calmed down enough to walk inside the apartment without looking like a tomato.</p>
<p>“Please let it be a joke… please let it be a joke!” Dami chanted as she walked in circles taking deep breaths until her mind was calm again and slowly walked forward and entered the apartment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Minji and Yoohyeon’s apartment-</p>
<p>Dami walked in to shouting and slightly panicked until she heard what was being shouted.</p>
<p>“oh, god! You let Yoohyeon try to cook!” Minji shouted as everyone coughed at the smoke that wafted out of the kitchen.</p>
<p>“where the hell is the fire extinguisher!” Handong shouted as she searched under the sink and in other cabinets.</p>
<p>“why would we have one down there?” Yoohyeon asked as Handong shouted an ‘aha!’ and held the fire extinguisher up like a trophy and quickly doused the flaming pan and ended everyone's moment of panic.</p>
<p>“We have one down there for moments like this…” Minji said as she took the fire extinguisher from Handong gratefully while the new girl fanned the smoke out a window and away from the smoke detector so that the building's fire alarms wouldn’t go off.</p>
<p>Once the smoke was finally cleared out of the apartment, Minji smiled at the others and decided to introduce the girl that hid behind her shyly.</p>
<p>“everyone, this is Shuhua. We ran into her last night. She went to leave another gift on Dami’s bike when a group of guys cornered her. We came to her rescue and brought her upstairs to calm down and spent the night talking.” Minji said as Shuhua still hid behind Minji.</p>
<p>Handong’s eyes lit up as she looked at the girl and spoke in Chinese as the girl quickly responded back. A smirk crossed Handong’s face as she took a closer look at the girl in front of her.</p>
<p>This would be fun. She could flirt with the girl in two languages. And besides Yoohyeon, no one would know what she was saying. This gave Handong many ideas to fluster Shuhua.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The group ordered food after they looked at the charred remains of whatever Yoohyeon tried to cook. Handong and Dami looked at each other before looking at the pan. They were unable to even guess what it was originally and decided they didn’t even want to know as they walked over to Minji, who was sitting on the couch in the living room while ordering food for the group.</p>
<p>Dami sat down on the couch and leaned back with a sigh. This was too much excitement for so early in the morning. It was making her shoulders tight.</p>
<p>Dami tried rolling her shoulders to release the tension in her shoulders, but it was useless. Handong watched quietly from beside her and frowned and leaned closer to Dami to whisper in her ear.</p>
<p>“would you like me to rub it for you?” Handong asked with an innocent look, but the way she whispered it was so dirty that Dami was left speechless as she shook her head no.</p>
<p>Handong shrugged with a small smirk on her lips as she leaned back and propped both arms on the back of the sofa. It made the thin silk and lace pull tight across her chest and almost KO’ed both Dami and Shuhua at the sight.</p>
<p>Minji eyed Handong and Dami suspiciously as she finished their breakfast order and asked Handong to help her with something in the other room. Handong knew what it had to be about and followed Minji with a smile.</p>
<p>“ok, I know I said I didn’t want to know… but what the hell is going on?” Minji whispered as she pulled Handong into a spare room. Handong could only laugh as she smiled at Minji.</p>
<p>“Gahyeon was playing a trick on Dami, and I am going along with it,” Handong said as Minji raised a brow suspiciously at her.</p>
<p>“honestly! Should I call Gahyeon to confirm it?” Handong asked and smiled as she watched Minji’s face soften at the idea. Handong pulled out her cell and quickly called Gahyeon.</p>
<p>After several minutes of Gahyeon explaining and shortly after Minji and Gahyeon cackling evilly as Handong explained what all she has done, Minji soon decided that she liked the teasing and was all for it.</p>
<p>“it's nice to see Dami break out of her bodyguard mode. All protected and emotionless.” Minji said as Gahyeon laughed on the phone.</p>
<p>“believe it or not, Dami is really girly and sweet behind closed doors. She’s also very clingy when she sleeps and flusters easily. She’s truly adorable!” Gahyeon gushed as Minji and Handong smiled softly at the sound of Gahyeon’s voice. They could tell just how in love Gahyeon is with Dami, and they just couldn’t help but smile in this situation.</p>
<p>“alright… if you are ok with this, then I guess I don’t mind…” Minji said, and soon, they said their goodbyes as they hung up.</p>
<p>Minji looked at Handong one last time before saying something.</p>
<p>“you know. I like the flirty Handong. You seem to be having more fun too. It’s the most alive I have seen you.” Minji said as Handong smiled.</p>
<p>“I hate to admit it, but you are right. I feel happy, and I'm having fun. It's like acting allowed me to break away from my shyness.” Handong said with a smile as Minji nodded.</p>
<p>“it is good to see you looking this happy. Just don’t kill Dami from embarrassment. Gahyeon still has to marry her, you know.” Minji teased as Handong chuckled and followed her out of the room to join the others.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon had retreated to the bathroom to wash off the mess she was covered in from her attempt from cooking, and when Minji walked out, she noticed Yoohyeon hide her hand behind her back and frowned.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon…” Minji said with a tone that made Yoohyeon jump and look at her girlfriend with a guilty wide-eyed expression.</p>
<p>“yes?” Yoohyeon squeaked as Minji held out her hand.</p>
<p>“paw,” Minji said as Yoohyeon sighed and held out her hand to show a small burn on it. </p>
<p>Minji winced as she looked at the burn. It was small, but it looked like it hurt a lot. She was worried it would blister and quickly ran for the first aid kit. Shuhua had walked up to see if everything was ok and noticed the burn on Yoohyeon’s hand.</p>
<p>When Minji returned, Shuhua took the kit from her and started on treating Yoohyeon’s hand.</p>
<p>“let me. I'm an expert now at treating burns bruises and cuts.” Shuhua said in a sad tone as she treated the burn quickly and efficiently.</p>
<p>Handong glanced at Dami, who walked up when Minji ran for the kit. There was definitely something to that comment. But they didn’t know if they should press her or not. That was when Dami remembered Handong’s backstory written by that cop.</p>
<p>In it, she and her sister were kidnapped, and her older sister was eventually killed. Her death was never investigated per the report. It was added just in case they needed to get close to a member of this gang, and Dami couldn’t thank him enough as she looked at Handong.</p>
<p>She remembered that Handong didn’t like her best friend's death being brought up and used in the story, but this may help them.</p>
<p>Dami didn’t have to worry, though. Handong knew what to do and instantly went into her role as she talked with Shuhua.</p>
<p>“I can tell you have had some experience treating wounds…” Handong said sadly once she was done. The sad tone of Handong’s voice made Shuhua look up at her as Handong gently and slowly touched the tips of her fingers underneath Shuhua’s chin and turned her face from side to side.</p>
<p>There were some scars, but luckily not many and none looked fresh. She took in the marks and thought deeply.</p>
<p>“it doesn’t look like you learned by treating yourself, but I can only see your face…” Handong said as she dropped her fingers from her chin and gently touched her arms as she looked for injuries.</p>
<p>Shuhua shuffled nervously as Handong checked one arm and then the other. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention, and it made her nervous.</p>
<p>“I won't hurt you. Ever. You don’t have to be nervous of me…” Handong said as she smiled.</p>
<p>“my dream occupation was a doctor, so hurting someone is out of the question,” Handong said as Shuhua nodded as she looked down.</p>
<p>“Handong would make a great doctor. She takes care of all of us when we get hurt. Her stitches don’t scar like some do when you go to a hospital.” Dami said as Handong glared at her. She didn’t want the girl to slip up and say something that she couldn’t do. Luckily stitches are something that Handong COULD do with no problems.</p>
<p>“you can do all that?” Shuhua asked as Handong nodded.</p>
<p>“I like to read some medical books. Some may find it boring, but I like to learn how to help people.” Handong said as Shuhua looked at her with an impressed expression.</p>
<p>“what made you want to learn?” Shuhua asked and instantly regretted it as Handong’s expression darkened.</p>
<p>“my sister…” Handong said softly as she looked away.</p>
<p>It wasn’t actually a lie. Her sister was sick for a while when she was younger. Handong remembered feeling so helpless and looking up to the doctors like they were gods when they were able to save her friend.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry…” Shuhua said softly as Handong shook her head.</p>
<p>“don’t be. She has been gone for a while.” Handong said with a smile that didn’t meet her eyes.</p>
<p>‘damn… Handong is good…’ Minji thought as she watched the two talk. She couldn’t believe how convincing and charming Handong could be at the same time. It was unbelievable how even though Minji knew all of it was an act, she hung onto every word like she was watching an actual drama live in her house.</p>
<p>“I couldn’t save her from them, but at least I can save my family,” Handong said as she looked at the others and smiled as they looked back at her with proud expressions.</p>
<p>“you are braver than I am… I can't do anything… I'm just helpless and weak.” Shuhua said as Handong frowned.</p>
<p>“Who told you that? You are only as weak as you let yourself be. Just because someone tells you that you are weak, it doesn’t make it true…” Handong didn’t know when she did it, but her fingers made their way to Shuhua’s chin again as she gently tilted Shuhua’s head up so that they were looking into each other's eyes.</p>
<p>Handong could tell that the younger girl gulped nervously as she looked into Handong’s eyes as she let loose a soft smile that seemed to melt the younger girl. She was like putty in Handong’s hands.</p>
<p>“if anyone hurts you, come to me right away. I won't allow anyone to hurt you.” Handong said as Minji and Yoohyeon tried to fight back squeals as they watched the k-drama going on in their living room.</p>
<p> Yoohyeon and Minji weren't the only ones affected as Shuhua blushed and melted into Handong’s touch as Handong smiled at the girl before her.</p>
<p>“Promise me that you will tell me if you are in danger,” Handong asked as Shuhua nodded quickly, causing Handong to giggle cutely. It made Shuhua only blush more as she looked away nervously.</p>
<p>Dami could only watch as everything happened with a smirk. <em>‘she must watch a lot of dramas…’</em> Dami thought as she watched Handong capture Shuhua’s heart.</p>
<p>“good,” Handong said as her fingers lingered on Shuhua’s chin slightly longer than it should while Handong’s eyes drifted down to her lips for a second before looking away.</p>
<p>“do you want to leave your gang and join us?” Dami offered as she looked at Shuhua, who quickly panicked.</p>
<p>“I, I can't… if I leave, they will hurt her…” Shuhua said as she looked at Dami and Handong in a panic as they exchanged a worried look at each other.</p>
<p>They were right. She was no druggie or drug dealer but a pawn that was forced to do things she didn’t want to do by them threatening someone close to her.</p>
<p>“I want to… but I can't. I'm the only other person she knows in Korea…” Shuhua said as tears started to streak down her cheeks.</p>
<p>“wait, wait… it's ok…” Handong said as she walked over and brushed the tears from the crying girl's face.</p>
<p>“Is that why you know how to treat wounds so well?” Minji asked as Shuhua nodded sadly while Handong pulled her close in an attempt to calm her down. It didn’t help because the sudden closeness was flustering the poor girl as her eyes locked onto the lace on her top and blushed furiously.</p>
<p>“Handong, you are going to kill the poor girl like that…” Dami said as Handong pouted and released the girl.</p>
<p>“what if I said we could help you get your friend away from them? Would you join us then?” Dami asked as Shuhua’s eyes went wide as she looked for even a hint of a lie on Dami’s face but saw none.</p>
<p>“Can you really help me?” she whispered just loud enough for them to barely hear her.</p>
<p>“yes, we can. But only if you help us too…” Dami asked as she watched the younger girl's expression change.</p>
<p>“whatever it is, I will do it. If you can get her out of there, I will do anything.” Shuhua said with a determined expression.</p>
<p>“Promise me you will never again agree to do ANYTHING for someone ever again, please…” Handong asked as she looked worriedly at the younger girl. It seems like she was already getting attached to her.</p>
<p>“if it means getting Yuqi out of there, I will actually do anything. It's my fault she's there and suffering anyway…” she said weakly as Handong grabbed her and hugged her protectively as she looked at Dami with a worried expression.</p>
<p>“I will go call Eunwoo and the others…” Dami said as she went for her phone and quickly dialed as she walked out of the room.</p>
<p>“I promise we will try to get your friend out. All that we ask is you to help us catch someone who is after us tonight. Do you think you can help?” Handong asked as she looked down into Shuhua’s eyes.</p>
<p>Shuhua nodded as she held onto Handong like her lifeline.</p>
<p><em>‘damn… now I feel soft…’</em> Handong thought as she felt the smaller girl clinging to her as she shook with worry.</p>
<p><em>‘What have I just gotten into…’</em> Handong thought to herself as Dami walked back into the room and signaled her that they needed to head to the café.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. The Rescue Attempt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Handong held Shuhua close to her as she tried to calm the smaller girl. After a couple of minutes, Dami came out of a room and nodded to Handong, telling her that everything was ready.</p>
<p>Quickly they headed out of the apartment with Shuhua. They were careful not to be seen by anyone that could be keeping tabs on the smaller girl. After a quick visit to Bora and a quick explanation, Bora lent the girl her spare black gear, and they quickly woke Gahyeon up and headed over to Eunwoo.</p>
<p>Once they were downstairs and standing beside their bikes, Shuhua looked around at them nervously. Without a thought, Handong grabbed Shuhua’s wrist and pulled the girl behind her and wrapped the girl's arms tightly around her waist. “hold me tightly. It’s how I like it.” Handong said with a wink causing the desired effect as Shuhua turned bright red and laid against her back so that Handong couldn’t see her blush.</p>
<p>“Visor down,” Handong said as Shuhua quickly flipped the visor down and wrapped her arms around Handong’s waist again tightly.</p>
<p> Shuhua rode on Handong’s bike as they headed the short distance to the café, but she clung to the girl desperately. Handong could tell that she was afraid and to calm her while they were at a light, Handong put her arm atop of Shuhua’s and rubbed the back of Shuhua’s hand with a gloved thumb. She smiled as she felt the smaller girl start to relax slightly, but that ended when they started moving again.</p>
<p>The others didn’t miss the interaction and were smiling like dorks under their helmets. Especially Dami. She had been teased all morning and couldn’t wait for the chance to tease the Chinese girl that seemed to already be smitten with the tiny girl clinging to her back for dear life.</p>
<p>Soon they were in the alley behind the café. Shuhua looked around with a confused expression as she looked at the lone metal door.</p>
<p>“I thought we were going to a café?” Shuhua asked as the girls nodded.</p>
<p>“We are, but there is no place to park our bikes, so the owner lets us park back here,” Dami said with a smile as she helped her sleepy girlfriend off of the back of her bike.</p>
<p>Gahyeon had a tendency to pout when she was sleepy, and Dami thought it was extremely adorable as she stared at the sleepy girl.</p>
<p>“Alright, everyone ready?” Bora asked as everyone, but Shuhua nodded. She was nervous and hovered closely to Handong as she looked around her.</p>
<p>Handong noticed her nervousness and quickly slid her arm around the smaller girl's waist and pulled her closer very gently. The gentleness startled Shuhua as she looked up at Handong, who just smiled at her softly.</p>
<p>This wasn’t part of her act, she just wanted to comfort the shy girl. But her acting was finally allowing her to break out of her shell and be closer with people. And she had to admit. She really enjoyed the flirting. It was fun, and she liked how she made Shuhua blush.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The group entered the back of the café and slowly walked by the backroom and soon sat at their table that became their normal spot and looked up to Eunwoo. He smiled and walked over with a large tray of drinks and looked at Shuhua for her order, but the girl was too nervous to say anything.</p>
<p>Handong noticed that she seemed terrified and spoke to her in Chinese softly, hoping that it would make her feel slightly more comfortable.</p>
<p><em>“he wants to know what you want to drink,” Handong</em> said as Shuhua fidgeted in her seat and looked at her hands.</p>
<p><em>“I, I don’t have any money. They took it from me yesterday…”</em> Shuhua said as Handong looked at her with worry.</p>
<p><em>“who did?”</em> she asked as she watched Shuhua tense.</p>
<p><em>“the one holding Yuqi… he said if I didn’t give him money, he would hurt her yesterday…” </em>Shuhua said as Handong held back a growl of frustration and looked at Eunwoo. She knew that he knew how to speak Chinese because she remembered her friend mentioning it before, and she could tell that he understood that by the slight frown that crossed his lips.</p>
<p>“what would you like to drink? And before you ask how much, it's on the house. My friends never have to pay.” Eunwoo said as he let loose one of his eye smiles and waited patiently for her to decide what she wanted.</p>
<p>Once the order was placed and the two introduced themselves, he brought her drink to her with a smile and took one of the four empty chairs and looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“ok, Dami only filled me in on a little bit of it. Care to give me the whole story?” Eunwoo asked as he looked around. Dami leaned forward and rested her arms on the table as she looked at Eunwoo.</p>
<p>“I think we need to wait for the others. We will need their help for this, after all…” Dami said as Eunwoo nodded and messaged on his phone before looking up.</p>
<p>“Jinwoo is bringing the others in his van. Maybe you should warn Shuhua before she panics?” Eunwoo said as Dami nodded and turned to look at the smaller girl.</p>
<p>All eyes were on her, and she started to feel nervous as she shrank back in her chair until she felt Handong snake an arm around her waist. She didn’t know why, but it calmed her down as she looked at the table nervously, waiting for whatever they are going to say.</p>
<p>“Eunwoo, here is an ex-cop. His friends that are coming are still cops. They will help us get your friend out. And before you worry, we already explained your situation, so don’t worry. They are good people and are helping us.” Dami said, but Shuhua panicked as she looked over to Handong.</p>
<p><em>“it's ok. They are helping us go after the one who killed my sister. And they will also help you. I wouldn’t bring you to a place that would put you in danger. I promise.”</em> Handong said softly as she felt Shuhua shaking nervously and rubbed her side with her thumb. She was trying to be calming but instead flustered Shuhua. Either way, she was no longer thinking about the cops, so it was a success.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was several minutes later when the three came in, but behind them was the annoying guy from the drug squad. The girls groaned at the sight of him. It caused Shuhua to look at them nervously, but Handong shook her head.</p>
<p>“it’s nothing bad. He's just… how do I say this…” Handong thought for a second before Bora interrupted her.</p>
<p>“he's a dork. You will see what we mean later…” Bora said as she sighed while the four cops entered the store.</p>
<p>“glad you are here!” Eunwoo said with a smile as he led them to their chairs before sitting down in his seat again.</p>
<p>“ok, we need your help. But why did you bring HIM?” Bora asked as she pointed at the officer in question. He acted highly offended before smiling.</p>
<p>“well, from what I heard, you need my help to get someone out of drug charges, but if you want me to leave…” he said as he stood.</p>
<p>“Byeongkwan…” Eunwoo said in a very threatening tone. It caught everyone off guard as they looked between the two. Eunwoo casually took a sip of his coffee before looking back to Byeongkwan with a brow raised.</p>
<p>“fine… your no fun, you know that?” Byeongkwan said as he flopped back down into his chair with a huff.</p>
<p>“anyway… we do need your help… sadly…”  Bora said as he stuck his tongue out at her.</p>
<p>“is he really going to be able to help us with anything?” Shuhua asked, causing the girls to laugh.</p>
<p>“hey! I'm good at my job!” Byeongkwan said while sulking. He really was good at his job even if his behavior wasn’t very professional, and they did need his help.</p>
<p>“so, what do you need help with?” Jinwoo asked as he leaned forward, blocking Byeongkwan from view.</p>
<p>“her friend was captured. They are using her friend to force her to do things for the gang. Shuhua, is it just Yuqi, or are there others they are holding?” Dami asked bur before Shuhua could answer Byeongkwan shoved Jinwoo out of his way to make eye contact with Shuhua.</p>
<p>“wait… you are Shuhua? And your friend is Yuqi?  The two girls that went missing shortly after arriving in Korea?” Byeongkwan asked as Shuhua’s eyes went wide in shock.</p>
<p>“you know about us? I was told no one was looking for us…” Shuhua said as Byeongkwan swore and stood up to pace.</p>
<p>“your families have been desperately looking for you. The missing person’s team spent months trying to track you two down! They even asked every task force to keep an eye out for you!” Byeongkwan said as he fumed at how close they were all along.</p>
<p>“well, we need to break Yuqi out, and she will help us catch Sanha,” Dami said as Shuhua spun to look at Dami.</p>
<p>“the one that is after you is Sanha?” Shuhua asked as the group nodded. Shuhua sighed in relief. She wasn’t sure she could really help everyone, but luckily, this was something she could help with easily.</p>
<p>“I'm the one he contacts for his deals. The gang makes me deal with him with drugs, but when he deals in videos, one of the gang leader’s men comes with me to view the footage before paying. Today is the day he is supposed to meet me. If he doesn’t have any footage, he just buys from me with no guards.” Shuhua said as the others looked at her.</p>
<p>“so we need two teams. One to rescue Yuqi and any other girls from their base and one group to wipe out Sanha’s video footage…” Eunwoo said as Moonbin hobbled out of the back room where it looked like he was napping.</p>
<p>“oh, I see how it is... I get injured, and now I'm not even included in the meetings!” Moonbin said as he sulked and hobbled over and rested his hand on Eunwoo’s shoulder to balance himself. He still refused to use the crutches.</p>
<p>“I tried to wake you, but you said for me to get out and then threw a pack of sponges at me…” Eunwoo said as he watched the memory come back to Moonbin as he nodded an apology.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon stood up and pulled a chair over for Moonbin to sit on as he smiled at her and carefully sat down. He could tell that something was up by the atmosphere.</p>
<p>“So, what's going on?” Moonbin asked as everyone looked at Handong for her to explain as she sighed and looked at Moonbin. Shuhua was tucked into Handong’s side, hiding from the tall and grumpy man, so he didn’t see her at first.</p>
<p>Moonbin only knew someone was there by the soft expression Handong gave when she looked down at her side. He leaned forward a bit to see Shuhua clinging to her side, looking extremely nervous.</p>
<p>“This girl is going to help us get Sanha if we can get her friend out of where she is being held captive,” Handong said as Moonbin frowned.</p>
<p>“I guess I get left out again…” Moonbin said as he sulked slightly. Eunwoo just shook his head with a sigh as he looked at the others.</p>
<p>“I hate to say it, but we could have really used Moonbin to be a decoy for Sanha… Bora, do you think that you can lure him out?” Eunwoo asked as everyone looked at her. They were hesitant to ask after she had a panic attack, but she nodded confidently as she leaned back.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I can be the decoy. But who goes where?” Bora asked as she looked around.</p>
<p>“I'm going wherever Shuhua goes,” Handong said flatly as she held her closely.</p>
<p>Eunwoo raised a brow at Handong’s actions. He remembered that Handong was supposed to try to flirt with the drug girl, but Handong was extremely possessive, and it didn’t seem like an act anymore to him.</p>
<p>“ok… who else goes where?” Eunwoo asked as he looked around.</p>
<p>“that’s if she cooperates… if she doesn’t, she goes to prison kidnapped or not!” Byeongkwan said, trying to act tough.</p>
<p>Handong shot up out of her chair, startling everyone as she glared at Byeongkwan with a look that could kill. Handong was not a fan of scare tactics, and she made sure that he understood that as she slowly sat down. </p>
<p>“I was just joking. Playing bad cop!” he said as he leaned back with his hands in the air. Handong was not pleased that he would joke like that when Shuhua was so visibly nervous.</p>
<p>“ok… well, when is this going to go down first? We can form teams later.” Jinwoo asked as he looked at everyone.</p>
<p>“Shuhua is there a time where there are fewer guards or their security is lax?” Minhyuk asked as he looked at her intently.</p>
<p>Shuhua thought to herself for a second. There were a couple of times that she went to visit Yuqi, where it was hard to find a guard to open her room so Shuhua could visit.</p>
<p><em>‘what time was that around…’</em> Shuhua asked herself as she tried to remember everything she did that day.</p>
<p>“ah! I think around noon! The gang is mainly active at night. They do have guards during the day, but half of them go on lunch break around noon! I remembered because the guard with Yuqi’s key was at lunch, and I had to wait for him!” Shuhua said as she looked at the others.</p>
<p>“that’s not a lot of time. We need to get ready then. Shuhua, when is the drug deal with Sanha?” Jinwoo asked as she smiled. It was an easy answer because it was the same every time.</p>
<p>“midnight!” Shuhua said with a smile. That meant that they would have to keep the raid on the gang silent for twelve hours for Sanha to meet up with Shuhua.</p>
<p>“Byeongkwan. Can your team keep this secret until midnight? That way, we can catch both?” Jinwoo asked as Byeongkwan nodded.</p>
<p>“yes, we can keep it quiet. You will have a lot to do, though…” he said as Jinwoo and the others nodded.</p>
<p>“Dami, we will need you for the locks for both the raid and when I become the decoy… I don’t know how this will work…” Bora said as Dami looked at Gahyeon nervously.</p>
<p>“I will go with the raid. Gahyeon will pick the locks in Sanha’s apartment. I will also walk her through on what to do to wipe his hard drives. Sound good?” Dami asked as she held Gahyeon’s hand tightly. She didn’t like being separated from her fiancé.</p>
<p>“Alright, so Dami and Handong are going to the raid. Who else?” Jinwoo asked as he looked around.</p>
<p>“I will go with the raid,” Eunwoo said as he looked at Handong and Shuhua. He liked seeing this new side that the shy girl was able to pull out of Handong. Somewhere along the line, he had started to feel like her older brother. He liked watching her seem happy compared to the shy and quiet girl she was before.</p>
<p>Moonbin sighed in frustration as he looked down at his bad arm and leg. There was nothing he could do to help, and it was driving him nuts.</p>
<p>“Minji, Yoohyeon? Can you go with Gahyeon? I would feel better if you are with her…” Dami asked as the two nodded right away.</p>
<p>“alright. We will help with the raid, and once that is over, we will start preparing to catch Sanha. This will be tight. Let's hope that we can end this in one try…” Jinwoo said as Byeongkwan looked at everyone with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“you know, I could just wipe the computer. That way, Gahyeon and the others could be out safely.” MJ said as he looked at Dami. She looked extremely relieved at the offer.</p>
<p>“MJ, are you sure? There are a lot of stairs…” Jinwoo teased as MJ glared at him.</p>
<p>“I hope you know I go to the gym every day… I may sit at a desk for a living, but stairs won't kill me!” he said as the others laughed at him.</p>
<p>“Shuhua, is there anything else you can tell me about this location? Doors windows anything that we may be able to use as an advantage?” Minhyuk asked as the girl thought for a second.</p>
<p>“possibly…” she said as she pulled out her cell and pulled up the address of the place.</p>
<p>“here it is. But they will move it in a few days. They constantly change the locations to make it harder to catch them.” She showed the map and started explaining everything that she knew. It was more than she thought, and as they quizzed her about things, she was able to remember even more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t long before it was time to go. But before that, Bora had to run to the apartment and grab the flash drive that she had stored inside the journal. The info in it would be helpful for the officers who planned to arrest him later that night.</p>
<p>Bora rushed home and quickly grabbed the journal from where it was hidden and flipped it open to the flash drive and grabbed it as she ran out the door. She didn’t have time to waste.</p>
<p>Once she was back at the café, she handed over the flash drive to Jinwoo, and soon, the group that was going to the raid had to leave.</p>
<p>Dami pulled Gahyeon close as their bodies pressed together as she gave her fiancé a passionate kiss. They finally broke apart for air as Dami looked into her eyes with worry. She knew that the resets were back, but the thought of her not being there when something happened tormented her.</p>
<p>“Please, be careful…” Dami said as Gahyeon smiled sweetly and leaned in to whisper something into Dami’s ear.</p>
<p>“if something happens to me, you have to propose all over again, or it doesn’t count,” Gahyeon said as Dami laughed and nodded.</p>
<p>“Also, don’t get frisky with Handong while I'm not there…” Gahyeon whispered as Dami flushed. She hated that this joke was still going on. She looked over to Handong, who just winked, causing Dami to blush more.</p>
<p>“why is everyone teasing me today…” Dami said as she sighed and shook her head. They were having too much fun with this, and it was starting to get to the girl.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The group quickly got into the vehicle that they were going to take to the raid. It was just a basic van, but it was better than nothing. Everyone was nervous as they looked around while Jinwoo drove.</p>
<p>“once we are there, we need to be ready. Things happen quick. Focus on taking the guards down. We want them out of the way so that they can’t use the girls as human shields ok?” Jinwoo said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“Handong. You and Shuhua will follow Eunwoo. It’s safer that way.” Jinwoo said as he looked in the rearview mirror at her as she nodded. Shuhua was nervous and clinging to her. She wanted to free her friend, but she was terrified of what would happen if they failed. It would mean that Shuhua’s life, as well as Yuqi’s, would be forfeit for her going against the gang.</p>
<p>Handong gently put her fingers under her chin and lifted until Shuhua was looking into Handong’s eyes.</p>
<p>“We won't give up. Even if we die. We will free you and your friend. Don’t ask how. Just know I won't give up on freeing you. Do you understand?” Handong asked as Shuhua nodded softly.</p>
<p>“good,” Handong said as she looked around to see if anyone was looking. Luckily, they were in the very back, and all eyes were up front, and Handong decided to risk it.</p>
<p>Smoothly she leaned in and kissed Shuhua. The younger girl was startled at first but quickly melted into the kiss. It wasn’t a long kiss, but both girls were left breathless as Handong looked into her eyes.</p>
<p>She didn’t know how it happened so quickly, but it seemed like she fell for the shy girl. She remembered watching her cling onto Dami as they escaped from Dami’s uncle and remembered thinking how cute the smaller girl looked.</p>
<p><em>‘hmm, maybe this happened even before I realized it.’</em> Handong thought as she looked down into the eyes that looked up at her and smiled.</p>
<p><em>‘either way, it happened. no going back.’ </em>Handong thought as she held the girl close.</p>
<p>She couldn’t lie to herself anymore. It was no longer an act. She liked the way that Shuhua would melt in her embrace and enjoyed the feeling of her by her side.</p>
<p>They talked about random things trying to get to know each other as they traveled towards the building where Yuqi was being held.</p>
<p>“so, did they make you sell under that bridge all the time?” Handong asked as she watched Shuhua shake her head.</p>
<p>“no. The day that we all met was the first time we sold there. Before that, they had me sell near some old warehouse. They said the warehouse used to be their hideout, but now they just sell in the alleys around it.” Shuhua said as Handong thought about that info.</p>
<p><em>‘was she right by Sanha the entire time? That has to be Sanha’s warehouse. If this day ends up resetting, at least we know where to look for her. And I will keep my promise. I won’t give up on her…’</em> Handong thought to herself as Shuhua tucked underneath Handong’s chin and snuggled close for the short ride that they had left.</p>
<p>Without knowing it, the two girls dozed off and were finally awoken once they arrived at the location by Dami.</p>
<p>“it’s time. Everyone is geared up. Remember, helmets on. You too, Shuhua. Do not raise your visor until we are out of there, ok?” Dami asked as Shuhua picked up the helmet Bora lent her.</p>
<p>“ok, we have two other cars with police to help us. They are positioned around the building at the other two points we all decided on. So, remember that they will flush the thugs our way, so always be careful. And be on the lookout.” Jinwoo said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“We are ready and in position.” Someone said over the walkie-talkie that Jinwoo held in his hand. He quickly looked at Minhyuk and Byeongkwan, who prepared to open the doors of the van quickly.</p>
<p>“ok. On three.” Jinwoo said over the radio as everyone readied themselves.</p>
<p>“one…”</p>
<p>“two…”</p>
<p>“three!”</p>
<p> “now!” Jinwoo shouted as the two ripped open the doors. And let the blindingly bright light into the van as everyone tenses to launch out of the van.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Two is much better than one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Once Jinwoo shouted now, everything moved fast. The doors flew open as the group swarmed out of the van and into the gate of the house where Shuhua’s friend was kept.</p>
<p>Fights broke out immediately, and Eunwoo made sure that he stood close to the girls for protection, but one guard came from the opposite side aiming for Shuhua when Handong spun Shuhua out of danger and kicked the large guard with enough force to knock him backward.</p>
<p>Eunwoo’s head spun around as he heard the guard crash onto the ground, and soon, he was close to the two girls guarding them.</p>
<p>Dami wasn’t going to just sit back and be protected. She launched herself into the fight. She was the daughter of the leaders of the biggest gang in Seoul. There was no way she would let herself be protected by someone else.</p>
<p>Dami crashed into guys much larger than her as she took out knees and went for the tender parts as she helped Byeongkwan, who looked like he was getting overwhelmed by the guards. Within minutes the guards were on the ground and groaning as Dami stood above them, breathing heavily as she turned and looked for Handong Shuhua and Eunwoo.</p>
<p>The three were walking towards a door that must lead to Yuqi when she heard someone yelling on the radio Byeongkwan was wearing.</p>
<p>“a group tried to escape out the back when they spotted us. They are heading straight for you with weapons! Get ready!” someone shouted, and she could tell that they were chasing after the fleeing members.</p>
<p>That meant that they were about to burst out of the doorway that the three were walking towards.</p>
<p>“get back!” Dami shouted as she ran towards the three.</p>
<p>Eunwoo was too slow to react in time, but luckily Handong wasn’t as she grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him and Shuhua back from the door just in time.</p>
<p>The group burst through the door to spot the group in front of them. They were armed with various things that they could grab from sticks to pipes and even kitchen knives.</p>
<p>Dami stepped forward as she extended her double batons and dared the group to come at her. Without a second thought, they charged. Confident that they could take out the thin girl.</p>
<p>Dami took out wrists elbows and knees as she dodged the clumsy guards as they tried to attack her. With her bodyguard training as well as training from her family, she was easily able to deflect the weapons that were coming at her and leave crushing blows on their joints, ensuring that they wouldn’t be able to fight for a while.</p>
<p>  One guard wasn’t as inexperienced as the others, though, and managed to land a strong kick to Dami’s ribs. She swore she could feel bones cracking as pain shot through her body and swore before smashing both batons into his face snapping his head to the side and knocking him out cold as she winced in pain behind the helmet.</p>
<p>Finally, Byeongkwan was a bit of help when he witnessed Dami get hit and started to help fight back. The two were taking a hit here or there, but luckily, the one wielding the knife went after Dami and not Byeongkwan.</p>
<p>The knife slashed down from her collarbone to her stomach, but the jacket did Its job, and besides a faint scratch on the leather, you wouldn’t have been able to know she took a blow from a very sharp knife.</p>
<p>On his second slash, though, she wasn’t so lucky. The knife managed to slip between the sleeve and her glove, leaving a gash on the top of her wrist.</p>
<p>The cut caused Dami to drop one baton and switch her stance to prepare for only fighting with one when the guy dropped in front of her.</p>
<p>Dami looked behind the guard and saw Handong with the baton. She had joined the fight and was doing quite well. You could tell that she wasn’t an expert fighter, but from the small training sessions Dami had given the girls and Handong analyzing Dami’s fighting style, Handong was becoming a decent fighter as she rained blows down on the guards from behind.</p>
<p>Soon the guards had to turn so that their backs were to each other to fend off the two girls who were reducing their numbers rather quickly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eunwoo had Shuhua backed against a wall as he stood in front of her protectively while he watched the girls fight. He didn’t like this. He had told Handong that he would go and help Dami when she took the blow to the ribs, but instead, Handong ran forward and went to her defense instead.</p>
<p>When Dami dropped the baton, Handong quickly scooped it up and smashed into the knife-wielding guard causing him to drop. Dami was relieved to see Handong, and soon, the group was groaning or unconscious on the ground, and it was now time for them to free the girls.</p>
<p>Dami was tasked with picking all the locks on the doors that held the girls, but the cut to her wrist worried her.</p>
<p>“this way! Shuhua said as she led Dami Handong and Eunwoo to Yuqi’s room. As they turned a hallway, they could hear a girl shouting as a guard was struggling to pull her out of the room. Handong moved without thinking and smashed her elbow into his face knocking him back to lay on the ground, knocked out cold.</p>
<p>“Damn!” Dami said as she watched the large man fall. But noticed Handong stiffen as she looked into the doorway at the girl.</p>
<p>Handong stood in the doorway and looked down into the eyes of a girl that made her chest squeeze.</p>
<p>“Woah!” the girl said, and Handong was caught off guard by the small girl's deeper voice and adorable face.  </p>
<p>“Yuqi!” Shuhua shouted as she ran towards the door to check on her friend. Handong did a doubletake at the girl when she heard her name.</p>
<p><em>‘THIS is Yuqi? Why are all of her friends cute!’ </em>Handong thought as she blushed and looked away. Dami was giving her a suspicious look as she lifted her visor to look at her. She knew something was up with the Chinese girl, and she was dying to know what.</p>
<p>“Handong? Can you help me get her up?” Shuhua asked as she looked back at Handong. She nodded and took off her helmet to have some fresh air.</p>
<p>As soon as Yuqi saw Handong take off her helmet, there was a soft gasp as she stared at the girl that had rescued her.</p>
<p>“who’s the hot biker girl?” Yuqi Quietly asked as she leaned over and whispered to her best friend. Shuhua could only giggle. Handong had that same effect on her too.</p>
<p>“later. Right now, can you stand?” Shuhua asked as Yuqi shook her head no. Handong quickly walked over and helped pick Yuqi up.</p>
<p>She had a nasty bruise on one leg, and Handong wondered if it may be broken judging by how dark the bruises were. It made Handong furious as she looked at all of the bruises on the girl, but she didn’t have enough time for that. Right now, they needed to get her out of there safely.</p>
<p>“We need to go now. Let's get you to the car, ok?” Handong said to Yuqi as the girl nodded shyly, and the three limped out to put her safely inside the van while Dami and Eunwoo opened the doors for the other girls.</p>
<p>Handong picked up Yuqi and carefully helped her get comfortable inside the van before turning out to go help the other girls when Yuqi grabbed her hand as she turned away.</p>
<p>Handong looked back at the younger girl curiously as Yuqi let loose a beautiful smile.</p>
<p>“thank you for helping me and for helping Shuhua,” Yuqi said. Her smile went from beautiful to mischievous when she noticed the blush cross her face.</p>
<p>Handong nodded and fled the van, but before leaving, she looked to Shuhua and pointed to the van. The girl looked at Handong with a confused look when Handong smiled and handed her helmet to Shuhua.</p>
<p>“stay inside the van with Yuqi. When we come out, open the doors, ok? But until then, keep them locked. I don’t think she can do it with her leg, ok?” Handong asked as Shuhua pouted but nodded and climbed into the van.</p>
<p>Handong waited until she heard the click from the car, telling her it was locked before she headed back towards the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami sighed in relief as she noticed the keys the guard that tried to drag Yuqi away had on his belt. If it was the keys to the rooms, then this would be a lot easier for her.</p>
<p>Quickly Dami grabbed the keys and tried them one at a time on the doors lining the hall. She was starting to feel defeated on the first door when she tried the last key, and it finally entered the door.</p>
<p>“yes!” Dami whispered as she turned the lock on the door and looked in to see a girl sleeping on a tiny and dirty mattress. Dami tossed the keys to Eunwoo and had him try to open another door as she walked into the small room.</p>
<p>Dami quickly walked over and gently shook the girl while speaking softly as she tried to wake her up. But when the girl stirred, she panicked to see Dami over her and flung her arms wildly, accidentally smashing into Dami’s injured wrist.</p>
<p>Dami gripped her wrist as she leaned back and cringed in pain. It took her a couple of seconds before the pain and nausea faded enough that she could try to talk. When she looked up at the girl, Dami could tell that she was terrified.</p>
<p>“Relax, we are here with the police. We are here to free you.” Dami said as she held her side and stood with a groan. Her broken ribs were protesting all of the movement.</p>
<p>It took a couple of seconds for Dami’s statement to sink into the girl in front of her, but soon, Dami could tell her sleepy confusion faded as she realized she was free.</p>
<p>“you are serious?” the girl asked in shock as Dami nodded and held out her hand to help the girl up, but she refused and struggled to stand on her own.</p>
<p>“I can tell you are hurt. No need to hurt yourself worse just to help me up.” The girl said as Dami nodded and led her to the van as Shuhua opened the door for the girl and quickly locked it again once Dami walked back towards the building.</p>
<p>There was a total of seven girls freed as the raid finished. Handong and the others slowly walked back to the van with a sigh.</p>
<p>Jinwoo was to drive Handong Eunwoo Shuhua and the other girls to the hospital for them to be checked by professionals before they are questioned and sent back home to their families.</p>
<p>But Handong was in for a surprise when she stepped into the van and noticed Shuhua kissing Yuqi. Handong felt her spirits sink as she controlled her face and walked to the only open seat that was beside the two girls.</p>
<p><em>‘of course… they are together… why else would Shuhua go through all of this?’ </em>Handong thought as she mentally kicked herself for falling for the girl as she stared out of the window quietly.</p>
<p>Shuhua looked at Handong with a confused expression as she twined her fingers in Handong’s. The older girl looked over at her in shock as Shuhua smiled brightly at her.</p>
<p>To say Handong was confused was an understatement. But Shuhua’s affection for Handong wasn’t hidden, and Yuqi didn’t seem fazed at all as she smiled at the two happily.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m so confused…’</em> Handong thought to herself as she looked down at Shuhua and couldn’t stop herself from smiling.</p>
<p><em>‘damn…’</em> Handong thought to herself as she felt herself smiling down at Shuhua. The younger girl had a power over her that Handong just couldn’t resist.</p>
<p><em>‘she’s just so cute…’</em> Handong mentally whined to herself as she looked back out the window as she tried to control her emotions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami had her phone in her hand as she had it in selfie mode to watch what was happening behind her. She couldn’t help but smirk. It seems the tables were turned on her, and now Handong didn’t know what to do.</p>
<p>But there was definitely something weird about the two girls. Shuhua seemed attached to both Handong and Yuqi. And the new girl didn’t mind watching Shuhua hold Handong’s hand while giving Handong heart eyes. In fact, Yuqi seemed to be giving the same look to Handong.</p>
<p><em>‘oh, please let it be what I think it is… it would be perfect!’</em> Dami thought as she lowered her phone and chuckled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Soon they arrived at the hospital, and Dami had to be helped out of the van by both Eunwoo and Handong. She felt fine while she was sitting, but as soon as she went to get up, her ribs protested, and she fell back into the chair, gasping in pain.</p>
<p>Her ribs were definitely broken. She could feel them and sulked when she had to be carried out of the car to be put on a stretcher.</p>
<p>Once Dami was safely placed on the stretcher and brought inside, one of the medical staff went to remove her jacket when she panicked and called for Handong.</p>
<p>Handong ran over to her friend and promised to help her get into a gown as the staff frowned at the two and gave a suspicious look as she walked away.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Handong asked as Dami had her unzip the jacket to reveal the holster and in it, the gun with tranquilizing bullets and Handong nodded in understanding as she carefully helped Dami out of it without hurting her and quickly put it on and covered it with her own jacket before helping Dami into the gown.</p>
<p>Once they were done, Handong told the girl that Dami was ready as she huffed and walked behind the curtain and started helping Dami.</p>
<p>Dami needed stitches for her wrist, and her ribs were definitely broken. The nurse ended up giving her some pain medicine to help Dami move around more, but it made her rather loopy.</p>
<p>Handong groaned as Dami leaned onto her with a smile. She had been confusing Handong with Gahyeon for the last thirty minutes. It was cute at first until Dami tried to lean in to kiss her. That was when things started getting weird.</p>
<p>Handong jumped up at the sight of Eunwoo and quickly had him take over babysitting Dami as she went to look for Shuhua and Yuqi. It didn’t take long. She could spot Byeongkwan’s voice from far away and followed his voice to the girls' room and leaned against the doorway ss she listened to Byeongkwan question the girls.</p>
<p>Everything was going fine until he tried to joke around and Handong almost smacked him on the back of the head. He jerked in surprise as he looked behind him and spotted the angry girl coming at him and flinched away.</p>
<p>The questioning was done shortly after that. But Yuqi and Shuhua had no place to stay. The police were notifying their family, but the girls had no money or place to stay until then.</p>
<p>Luckily when the doctors had looked at the girls, they found out Yuqi’s leg wasn’t broken just badly bruised the area around it, causing swelling. She was given a splint just to limit the movement and help reduce the swelling that was going into her ankle.</p>
<p>It was after that when Handong learned about the girls' dilemma. They had no place to go and no id or passport because they were confiscated shortly after they were kidnapped.</p>
<p>Handong being the soft girl she is, she decided that they could stay at her apartment for the time being. She felt like she was getting herself in trouble, though, as the girls looked up at her excitedly.</p>
<p><em>‘uh oh…’</em> Handong thought as she watched them exchange a look and smile.</p>
<p><em> ‘What did I just get myself into…’</em> Handong thought as she leads the girls over to Eunwoo, who was groaning at Dami, calling him Gahyeon as she tried to kiss him.</p>
<p>“help?” Eunwoo asked as Handong shook her head.</p>
<p>“that problem is all yours now. I'm taking these two back to my apartment before we try to catch Sanha.” Handong said as Eunwoo raised a brow at her. She only shrugged and walked off. Leaving him with a very goofy Dami.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-The Apartment-</p>
<p>Handong led the girls up to her apartment as she walked over and unlocked her door. They walked in and looked at her apartment. It was rather mild compared to her biker persona, but the girls liked it. It seemed comfortable, and they were honestly worried that there would be beer cans everywhere or something similar.</p>
<p>“I don’t have a spare room open at the moment. I have a lot of storage in there. So, you two can stay in the bedroom, and I can sleep on the couch until your families come to verify your identity, and you can get access to your bank accounts again.” Handong said as the two exchanged a look at each other.</p>
<p>“why sleep on the couch?” Shuhua asked as Handong looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“because I'm not going to ask you two to sleep on the couch when I invited you inside,” Handong said as Shuhua grinned.</p>
<p>“I meant why sleep on the couch when we all could just sleep in the bed?” Shuhua asked as she smirked, and Handong realized instantly that she had fallen into a trap. But she wasn’t that upset as Shuhua and Yuqi both took her hands and slowly led her to the bedroom.</p>
<p>All of the teasing with Dami and she could see that karma had caught up to her. But oddly enough, she was completely ok with it as she relaxed in bed with a girl on either side.</p>
<p><em>‘ok, I don’t know why Dami panicked so much… this is rather fun.’</em> Handong thought as she looked down at Shuhua, who snuggled closer to her side.</p>
<p>“and they are cute too…” Handong whispered as she kissed both girls' foreheads before falling asleep for a couple of hours before they had to go help catch Sanha.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A couple hours later, she was awoken by her cellphone, but her arms were pinned beneath the girls. With a sigh, she woke Yuqi, who was closest and asked her for her phone.</p>
<p>The sleepy girl quickly leaned over and grabbed the cellphone off of Handong’s nightstand, and she quickly answered it.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Handong asked, and quickly, she hopped up careful not to bump Yuqi’s leg as she also tried to escape Shuhua’s clingy grasp.</p>
<p><em>‘ok… starting to see the downside…’</em> Handong thought as she finally freed herself and walked over to her closet and started getting dressed while talking on the phone.</p>
<p>“what are you doing? You sound muffled?” Gahyeon asked on the line as Handong pulled a shirt over her head.</p>
<p>“getting dressed,” Handong said as Gahyeon looked at the phone in shock.</p>
<p>“why would you need to get dressed? I thought you were just making the girls comfortable at your apartment… OH!!!” Gahyeon shouted before laughing loudly into the phone.</p>
<p>“no teasing, please. I'm running late…” Handong said with a sigh as she slid on her boots and leather gear back on.</p>
<p>“oh, we are DEFINITELY talking about this when you get here…” Gahyeon said as Handong shook her head. She knew she was in for hell from her friends.</p>
<p>“so, which one did you sleep with? Dami said both girls seemed interested in you.” Gahyeon asked as Handong groaned.</p>
<p>“well?” Gahyeon asked as Handong remained silent. She didn’t know how to answer.</p>
<p>“What did you sleep with both?” Minji said as she and Gahyeon laughed at their joke, but the silence on the other end gave them an answer that made their laughter end quickly.</p>
<p>“wait, really? No way! Go, Handong!” Minji cheered as Handong sighed but smiled as she turned to say goodbye to the girls only to be surprised by them as they went to tell her goodbye.</p>
<p>“Please be careful…” Shuhua said as she kissed Handong while she held the phone away, but it was too late. They heard the kiss.</p>
<p>“yes, I don’t want my hero to get hurt!” Yuqi said energetically as she pulled Handong in for a goodbye kiss as well.</p>
<p>Handong couldn’t help but grin at the two and realized that she really wanted this to work. Shuhua was shy and cute while Yuqi was the hyper cheerful type that didn’t even let what happened to her affect her as she moved on from it happily.</p>
<p>Handong was drawn to the two girls, but she was worried about what her friends would think when Gahyeon and Minji told them. It was too good of a secret for the two to keep to themselves.</p>
<p>Handong decided to take her bike as she raced over to the meeting point. It was a fast trip. Handong wanted to get there as soon as possible to get the teasing out of the way and also hear the plan that they had to wipe Sanha’s computer.</p>
<p>She pulled up quickly and got off her bike as everyone stared at her. She could tell right away that the two blabbed and sighed as she walked over to Bora and the others.</p>
<p><em>‘well… let's get this over with…’</em> Handong thought as she sighed and walked up to the others.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Losing Them Both</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Handong pulled up and shook her head as she looked at everyone. All eyes were on her as they smirked. It was completely obvious that they knew, but Handong realized that she didn’t care.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Handong walked over to the group as the two blabbermouths smiled wickedly. You could tell that they were dying to ask questions, but she wouldn’t give them without some teasing on her end too.</p>
<p>“let's make this quick, please. I'm sore.” Handong said as she walked over to the group without giving them any more details. You could tell that had piqued the girls' curiosity. Handong was curious who would cave and ask a question first. Minji or Gahyeon.</p>
<p>“ok om sorry for telling! Please tell me what happened!” Gahyeon shouted as she ran over and latched onto Handong’s arm. Minji was right behind her as she grabbed Handong’s other arm while looking up at her with a puppylike stare.</p>
<p>Handong sighed and shook her head as she looked up to MJ. He was also giving the same look. Bora was no help, either. She was just staring at her with a brow raised while waiting for the details.</p>
<p>“no. not sharing…” Handong said as she tried to break free of the two girls' grip as Bora laughed.</p>
<p>“I think you are very good at sharing if you can handle two girls at once,” Bora said with a smirk. Handong just sighed and shook her head again.</p>
<p>“look, can we just get this done quickly so I can get back to them?” Handong asked as Minji and Gahyeon squealed excitedly.</p>
<p>Once they got the teasing out of their system, they quickly got to the plan. There was still a lot to organize, and Bora had to be their decoy today.</p>
<p>“What did you write in the letter today?” Handong asked as she looked at the envelope the tiny girl was holding. Bora smirked at the letter in her hand. She had made it a way to get her frustrations out on the stalker, and this time it was no different.</p>
<p>“I hope you don’t mind me using your friend's name, but I may have told him that he was a weakling that wasn’t good in bed, and that’s why he has to stalk girls,” Bora said as she told Handong the edited version.</p>
<p>Bora had used some very colorful language and ended it with ‘come and catch me if you can, psycho.’ She was sure that he would be dangerous when he read it, but that wasn’t the goal. The goal was to make sure that he wouldn’t give up easily. She didn’t want to put MJ in a situation where he would have to fight his friend for his life.</p>
<p>Yes, MJ was a cop too. But she worried that he may go soft in a difficult situation. They were friends for years, after all. Plus, she wasn’t sure if he could even take him in a fight. Sanha was much taller than him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, are we ready to start this? Handong needs to get back to her love nest!” Bora shouted as the others laughed. Surprisingly it didn’t bother Handong. In fact, she laughed with the others. Her job right now was to be a lookout and rescue driver if needed. With Moonbin out and Dami still clinging to Eunwoo like a koala while calling him Gahyeon, it left Handong as the only one to do this.</p>
<p>“Yoohyeon is heading over to your apartment to feed your girlfriends and will wait with them until it is time to bring Shuhua to the meetup place at midnight,” Minji said as Handong nodded and then paused.</p>
<p>“Are you sure that is a good idea?” Handong asked as Minji looked at her with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“Yuqi and Yoohyeon in the same room sounds like utter chaos…” Handong said as she imagined the two. If her apartment was still in one piece when she got home, she would be surprised.</p>
<p>“well, I guess we will find out later,” Minji said nervously as they watched Bora hop on her bike. The did one last check on her helmet and gear before she gave a wave and rode off.</p>
<p>“well, that’s my signal to get into position…” Handong said as she stretched before walking over to her bike and hopping on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once Handong left, only the three remained. Minji was going to go with Gahyeon once she picked the lock, but once the door was open, the two would escape to safety as they kept a lookout for Sanha. The plan was easy, but they just hoped nothing went wrong somewhere.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Bora-</p>
<p>Bora had just pulled up to the stairs that led to Sanha’s apartment and couldn’t help but sigh at the long stairs to the top. She hated climbing those damn stairs, but it had to be done. So, with a groan, she swung off of her bike and started the climb. She made sure she went slow and paced herself. The climb down would be more like a race, and she wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t be tired in advance.</p>
<p>Once she finally reached the top, she looked at the apartment door with hate. So many bad memories had happened here. But the one she remembers the most was when she actually pulled the trigger in the warehouse.</p>
<p>At first, she didn’t regret it, just that she would get caught, but whatever that girl was… she was right. She now regretted it. Bora realized that she didn’t want to stoop to his level and become a murderer. She was grateful for the girl's interference, and this time she was trying to do things right.</p>
<p>With a heavy sigh, she finally walked over to the door and knocked. At first, there were no sounds, but she knew he was there. She banged on the door once more until he opened the door angrily. But he wasn’t the only one annoyed by now.</p>
<p>Bora flicked the letter at him. It bounced off his chest as she spun around to stomp down the stairs. Once she saw him pick up the letter, though, she started to haul ass as she ran down the stairs two to three at a time, which was a feat for someone with as short legs as her.</p>
<p>She was only halfway down when she heard his footsteps pounding on the stairs behind her.</p>
<p>“shit!” she yelled as she glanced behind her to see him gaining on her. She was almost at the bottom now and jumped the last couple of steps instead of running them as she raced towards her bike. </p>
<p>Sanha’s hands brushed across her jacket as he tried to grab onto anything, but he was just a second too late as she hopped on her bike and rode away. With a growl, he ran towards his car and grabbed the spare keys inside as he chased after the black bike that was taunting him as it popped wheelies and drove off.</p>
<p>His car finally roared to life as he stomped on the gas. Soon he was rocketing towards Bora, and she knew it was time to stop goofing off and become serious. This was now a dangerous game that she didn’t want to lose.</p>
<p>Just like before, the two were rocketing down alleys as he chased after her, and she could definitely tell that the letter did its job. His movements were erratic and spontaneous, but that was also a bad thing.</p>
<p>Bora was used to his driving techniques when he was calm. This Sanha was crazed, and it showed in his driving. He wasn’t afraid to risk his own life right now as he drove dangerously close to the walls of the alley.</p>
<p>His movements would repeatedly throw Bora through a loop. When she thought he would go one way, he would go another, and it started to make her anxious.</p>
<p>Quickly she reached for the button on her headset to dial Handong, but he swerved at her, and she quickly had to grab her handlebars again to stop from being smashed into a wall.</p>
<p>What she didn’t know was that she was being followed by Handong already. The girl had a bad feeling when she watched Bora almost get grabbed by Sanha. He seemed to be wild when he chased off after her.</p>
<p>Handong hung back at first, but when Bora and Sanha started taking the alleys, she stayed a street over as she continuously looked for Bora and Sanha.</p>
<p>Bora was finally able to hit the call button on her helmet, and Handong answered right away.</p>
<p>“shit! He's insane tonight!” Bora shouted as she dodged another attempt to smash her into a wall.</p>
<p>“I see that! Just keep dodging him, and don’t let your guard down. BORA WATCH OUT!” Handong shouted as Bora looked back over her shoulder to see what Sanha was doing. There was debris in the alley, and the only thing that saved the smaller girl from whipping out was Handong’s shout as she jerked out of the way just in time.</p>
<p>She dodged the debris, but her bike started to wobble dangerously as she struggled to correct herself. Handong could feel her breath hitch in her chest as she watched the scene before her.</p>
<p>Bora finally gained control of her bike when Sanha went for another attempt. Bora was starting to panic as memories started coming back. Her heart was starting to pound, but she was determined to fight through it as she shook her head to clear it.</p>
<p>Handong could tell right away what was happening and knew that she had to step in. If she didn’t, she might be putting Bora’s life in danger.</p>
<p>Handong quickly accelerated to get a couple streets ahead before she quickly cut down an alley towards Bora. She made sure that Bora could hear her and prayed that this plan would work.</p>
<p>“Bora! I'm coming right at you. I'm going to go for a slide and have him hit my bike. Hopefully, it will be enough to stop him, and Dami won't kill me after. I will need you to circle back and pick me up, ok?” Handong shouted as Bora gave her a breathy reply.</p>
<p>As if Handong had done this before, she quickly laid the bike on its side while barely escaping before being pinned underneath as it skidded on the ground to lodge itself underneath Sanha’s car. Luckily stopping it cold, but Handong couldn’t help but mourn for her lost bike.</p>
<p>Handong stumbled up as she looked behind her. Bora should be coming to pick her up, so she needed to get to the other end of the alley by the road. So with a sigh, she jogged over to see Bora pulling up just in time.</p>
<p>Handong quickly hopped on as they rode off, but Bora was still breathing heavily. After a couple of blocks, Handong had her pull over, and they switched positions as Handong drove them back to their meetup place.</p>
<p> As she pulled up, MJ was walking up, looking smug. He obviously did something that he was very proud of, but the two couldn’t help but feel suspicious. He looked just a bit too proud of himself.</p>
<p>Once Handong and Bora hopped off of the bike, she couldn’t help but ask the question that both of them were thinking.</p>
<p>“ok… what did you do?” Handong asked as he smirked, looking proudly. He held up his phone and showed images of the mess he left behind, and Handong had to admit that she was impressed.</p>
<p>“I looked up the layout of his house. The bathroom is on the other side of the wall as his computer. He also happened to leave his laptop on the desk. One tiny drill hole in the wall, and he had a water leak. Right onto his desk and flooding both his computer and laptop.” MJ said as he looked at the others excitedly.</p>
<p>“you didn’t wipe his computers but instead flooded his room?” Bora asked as he laughed.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t have done my job if I didn’t wipe them. I just caused the leak to cover up what killed them. He will think that there was just a leak and nothing more…” MJ said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“ok, well, if that is the case, we will need to set up for the plan later. You need to call Yoohyeon and have her bring Shuhua.” Bora said to Minji as she tried to calm her heart. She didn’t want to tell the others about how she almost had a panic attack, and she was grateful that Handong didn’t tell everyone else.</p>
<p>“follow me…” Handong said as she led Bora away from the others and talked her down from the last of her panic attack. Bora couldn’t help but hug the girl after. It meant a lot to her that Handong didn’t just tell the others and make a big deal out of it.</p>
<p>“Thanks…” Bora said softly as Handong smiled softly.</p>
<p>“I may not show it, but I suffer from them too. I just hide them well. The only way you will know is if you feel my pulse or notice my breathing is slightly faster. Just breathe, and I will drive us to the location. I think we should be grateful that they haven’t noticed my missing bike…” Handong whispered as Gahyeon stopped and looked at the bike and then looked around.</p>
<p>“Handong? Where’s your bike?” the girl asked as the two swore under their breath and walked back towards the group looking rather guilty.</p>
<p>“I had to sacrifice it to rescue Bora. He was way too reckless and almost wiped her out.” Handong said as everyone looked at her with wide eyes.</p>
<p>“he seemed more unstable than usual?” Gahyeon asked as the two nodded. This was worrisome because it could also make him more paranoid. Bora was kind of regretting her letter right now.</p>
<p>“ok… you were right… Yuqi and Yoohyeon are a bad combination. Shuhua said that the two have been playing pranks on each other all night. Yoohyeon has black marker all over her face.” Minji said as she showed them a picture of Yoohyeon.</p>
<p>Bora tried not to laugh, but it was hard when Yuqi drew a curly mustache on her as well as a unibrow as Yoohyeon slept with her mouth slightly open.</p>
<p>“Shuhua says you need to rescue her from two dorks,” Minji said as she giggled at the image of her girlfriend again.</p>
<p>“well, let's get moving. I want to see them soon.” Handong said as Bora and Minji gave knowing smirks.</p>
<p>“ok, YES. I want to do that again. Can we move past this?” Handong said as her face flushed red. Bora and Minji cackled as they walked towards their bikes, and soon Bora was behind Handong as they raced to the underpass.</p>
<p><em>‘I would rather it be Shuhua behind me…’</em> Handong thought to herself as she sighed. She missed the girl already, and they were together a couple hours ago. She also caught herself thinking of Yuqi as she drove while lost in her thoughts.</p>
<p>It amazed her how Yuqi didn’t let what happened to her affect her. They never broke her smile or her silly behavior. And Handong couldn’t be prouder of her as she listened to the girl explaining some of the abuse she experienced. She also remembered how she felt the need to kiss away all of her scars, and she was planning on doing just that if they could finish this before it got too late.</p>
<p>Once they arrived a few streets over from the underpass, they waited for Shuhua Jinwoo and Byeongkwan to arrive. They needed the backup, and he happened to offer his teams help.</p>
<p>Jinwoo arrived first with Byeongkwan and three others that seemed more than capable of taking Sanha down. They just hoped that the target hadn’t heard a word of his gang's demise yet.</p>
<p>“thank you for your help earlier.” One of Byeongkwan’s men said as he walked over to Handong and shook her hand.</p>
<p>“I was chasing after the group that burst through that door when their leader ran into me trying to make a run for it. We got their leaders without losing any of our men. Thank you again for your help. I'm Donghun, by the way.” He said as he smiled and walked back to Byeongkwan.</p>
<p>“well, at least he seemed trustworthy…” Handong said as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“couldn’t we just have had him from the beginning?” Bora asked as Handong giggled.</p>
<p>“oh, look who it is!” Bora said as Handong turned around to see Yoohyeon riding up with Shuhua on the back of her bike. Once they were stopped, Shuhua threw herself off of the bike and ran to Handong, who had her arms open.</p>
<p>The Shuhua ran into Handong’s arms as picked her up and sighed in relief. She shouldn’t have missed her already, but she did. And having the girl in her arms made Handong smile as she looked down at Shuhua.</p>
<p>Shuhua took advantage of their position as she quickly pulled Handong into a deep kiss as Gahyeon Minji and Bora cheered for the two.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon slowly walked up with her helmet still on as she walked over to her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“take that off,” Minji said as she pointed at the girl's helmet, but Yoohyeon refused as she shook her head.</p>
<p>Everyone knew the reason and wanted to see it for themselves. Minji started to pout, and a faint whine was heard from Yoohyeon’s helmet. She was a sucker for Minji’s pouting and finally sighed as she pulled off the helmet.</p>
<p>They could tell that she had tried to wash the marker off. Instead of the dark black, it was now grey and slightly smeared.</p>
<p>“well… I didn’t know my girlfriend was actually a man…” Minji said as she smirked. Yoohyeon pouted as she scowled at Shuhua.</p>
<p>“it's not Shuhua who did it,” Minji said as Yoohyeon pouted.</p>
<p>“I know that, but she didn’t stop her!” Yoohyeon said as she pouted again and glared at the small girl making out with Handong.</p>
<p>“and all they talked about was Handong this and Handong that… they are totally in love…” Yoohyeon said as she snuggled up to Minji.</p>
<p>“so annoying to deal with someone like that, huh?” Minji asked as her girlfriend clung to her. Yoohyeon nodded as she held Minji tightly.</p>
<p>“Only I can be that obsessed. Anyone else, and it's just not healthy.” Yoohyeon said as Minji just laughed and hugged Yoohyeon gently.</p>
<p>“well, let's go find out the plan, shall we?” Minji asked as Yoohyeon nodded, and the two slowly walked over to the officers. Followed by Shuhua and Handong once they took a break for air.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“alright. Shuhua just had the call with this Sanha. He is on the way. We all need to be in position. You remember the plan, right?” Donghun asked as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>“ok, let's go and remember, stay safe!” he said as everyone nodded and went to their designated areas.</p>
<p>Bora’s position was a lookout point where she could see Shuhua safely. It was a good view, so she was also tasked with using the camera to catch the deal going down.</p>
<p>It was several minutes before Sanha showed up looking stressed. He didn’t seem to like his computer's fate, but other than that, he didn’t look more nervous than he had before. Hopefully, this was a good sign.</p>
<p>She quietly watched as the deal went down and made sure that she had captured the evidence needed. It was soon time for him to be arrested when Bora’s phone went off. She could feel it buzzing soundlessly in her pocket and checked to see that it was from Siyeon. Worry got the better of her, and she quickly answered.  </p>
<p>“hey, babe! You just get home from work?” Bora asked as Siyeon giggled. She used to say that she hated Bora calling her that, but she grew to love it.</p>
<p>“yes. I just got home. We were practicing a new song. After a long night like that, all I want to do is sleep. But first, I wanted to hear your voice…” Siyeon said softly as Bora smiled at the shy tone of her girlfriend's voice.</p>
<p>“I miss you…” Bora said with a sigh. She was watching the officers slowly closing in while Sanha was still oblivious.</p>
<p>‘soon, this will be over, and I can hold you in my arms without a worry…’ Bora thought, but her thoughts were paused with what Siyeon said next.</p>
<p>“why is my journal open on the bed?” Siyeon asked as she walked into the bedroom. Bora’s heart dropped as she thought through her day. She had gone to grab the flash drive an left the journal open on the bed in her rush to leave.</p>
<p>“Siyeon! don’t!” Bora shouted, but the curiosity got the better of Siyeon as she noticed her journal still sitting on her desk where she left it.</p>
<p>“wait… you bought two journals?” Siyeon asked as she ran her hands over the pages and froze. She could recognize her own handwriting on the pages, but for days that hadn’t happened yet. Suddenly Siyeon felt an extreme headache coming on as she squeezed her eyes shut as the waves of pain washed over her as dreams that felt more like memories washed over her.</p>
<p>“I, I don’t understand…” Siyeon said as she went to take a closer look at the journal through the pain.</p>
<p><br/>-Morning-</p>
<p>“Siyeon! don’t!” Bora shouted one last time as she sat up in bed. The journal still in her hand as she looked around in panicked confusion.</p>
<p><em>‘shit! We were so close! We were right there!’</em> Bora thought as she sighed in frustration and flopped back on the bed. It was just after midnight on her phone, but she was so frustrated that she had to talk to someone.</p>
<p>Bora got dressed and walked out of her apartment and hesitated. What door should she choose?  After thinking about an angry and sleepy Minji, she quickly decided to go to Handong. After several knocks and rings of the doorbell, the sleepy girl opened the door just wide enough for her to peek out.</p>
<p>“Handong, it's me, Bora. There was another reset. We lost Sanha. Shuhua and Yuqi too…” Bora said as Handong’s memories flew back to her.</p>
<p>The door swung wide as Handong expression went from the shy girl before they met to the confident, sarcastic girl that Bora and everyone loved, but she didn’t look happy as she stepped out of the door to grab Bora by her collar.</p>
<p>“what the hell happened? we had him!” Handong said as Bora frowned. She wasn’t looking forward to telling the others about her fuckup.</p>
<p>“I just got them, Bora…” Handong said as her grip loosened. Bora looked up to see tears welling in the taller girl's eyes.</p>
<p>“I can't lose them already… Shuhua and Yuqi are back under that gang's control…” Handong said weakly as she suddenly pulled Bora into a hug as she started softly crying.</p>
<p>“don’t worry… we will get them. This time we will do it first. We now know how to catch him. Moonbin is now not injured, and just think, you can flirt with her all over again!” Bora said as Handong smiled weakly.</p>
<p>“let's go wake the others and go get your girlfriends, ok?” Bora asked as Handong nodded and let herself be led over to Minji’s door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Getting Her Girls Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Minji woke up to a banging on her door. She felt the frustration of being woken up so early and planned on yelling at Bora when she opened the door and noticed Handong clinging to the smaller girls while fighting back tears.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” Minji asked as her eyes went wide, and she opened the door wide for the two to enter. After a quick recap from Bora, Minji looked sadly at Handong. She now knew why Handong looked so upset. She just lost Shuhua and Yuqi before she could really be with them.</p>
<p>Yoohyeon stumbled out of the bedroom sleepily when she noticed Minji was no longer beside her and walked up front to find her girlfriend comforting their shy neighbor who was clinging to Bora desperately.</p>
<p>“ok… what did I miss?” Yoohyeon asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes and staggered over sleepily to sit in Minji’s lap and doze as Minji talked to the other two.</p>
<p>“what can we do?” Minji asked as she looked over to Bora, who sighed.</p>
<p>“I called and woke Dami up before knocking on your door. She's on the way with Gahyeon and already contacted her uncle, saying it was an emergency. We are going to take on that gang this morning. We are not going to let Yuqi get hurt while we track Shuhua down. We know she lives close, but we don’t have the time.” Bora said as Minji nodded.</p>
<p>“I know where she is at right now. When Dami gets here with our gear, I'm going to go to her and tell her that I'm going to get Yuqi out and for her to wait for us.” Handong said with a sigh. This was going to be dangerous.</p>
<p>“did you call Eunwoo too?” Minji asked as Yoohyeon softly snored against her neck. Bora nodded and checked her phone.</p>
<p>“he said he will be at the café in twenty minutes. And that was about ten minutes ago.” Bora said as Minji gently woke Yoohyeon up and stood to get dressed for what they were about to do.</p>
<p>While everyone got ready, Dami arrived and messaged Bora. She was told to come to Minji’s apartment and went up right away and let herself and Gahyeon in while they waited for the others.</p>
<p>Handong came in shortly after Dami and teared up as soon as she saw the quiet girl. She walked over to Dami right away and hugged the startled girl.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry for teasing you before… maybe this is my punishment… I lost them both, and there is no guarantee that it will end up the same as last time. I may have lost them for good, but I can't leave them in that situation…” Handong said softly as Dami looked at her worriedly. She didn’t know what to do in this kind of situation and looked at Gahyeon in panic.</p>
<p>“This isn’t your punishment. Besides, I was the one who started the prank, so if anyone would have been punished, it would be me.” Gahyeon said as she walked over and hugged both Handong and Dami, who still looked panicked at the crying girl in her arms.</p>
<p>“we will help you get them back, ok? So, let's calm down. You're not going to go looking all puffy, are you?” Gahyeon asked, and it seemed to snap some sense into Handong as she squeaked in panic and ran to the spare bathroom.</p>
<p>“thanks… I just froze and didn’t know what to do…” Dami said as Gahyeon giggled. She always thought it was cute how Dami would freeze when someone started crying. The panic on her face was priceless.</p>
<p>“no problem… but you know it’s another reset. That means another proposal…” Gahyeon said with a wink as Dami smirked and kissed her gently.</p>
<p>“deal. I will propose a million times as long as it's you.” Dami said as she held Gahyeon to her and kissed her again, but as soon as they heard the sound of the spare bathroom opening, they sprung apart. They were worried about upsetting Handong.</p>
<p>“it's alright. You don’t have to worry about me. I'm determined not to lose them. I won't. So, no need to be worried about showing your affection around me.” Handong said as she stood there confidently. She was now determined to do anything she could to save them. And even if it didn’t have the same outcome, she would at least be able to protect the people she cared about. Even if she didn’t know them for long.</p>
<p>Shortly after, both Yoohyeon and Minji, who both now looked slightly more awake, walked in. They looked at the three with a worried expression. They could feel that the mood was intense but didn’t know what had happened.</p>
<p>Gahyeon signaled the two that everything was ok and the two soon sighed in relief as they waited for Bora, Who was taking the longest to get ready. Instead of Bora coming back to the apartment, she instead sent the girls a text asking them to meet her outside.</p>
<p>The girls exchanged a look of confusion as they grabbed their things and went downstairs to meet Bora. When they did, the officer from the raid last night was standing there talking to the smaller girl. As soon as he noticed the girls walking up, he straightened as Bora looked around.</p>
<p>“ah, these are my friends I was talking about,” Bora said as he nodded politely and introduced himself. It seemed that Eunwoo called him right away when Bora explained what happened. Byeongkwan was of help before, but they felt that they needed quick and precise action, so Eunwoo called Donghun and Jun, who was staking out the location Handong mentioned.</p>
<p>“he says he has eyes on your girl. He is also making sure that she is safe. So right now, we can focus on the one that is being held captive. What did you say her name was?” Donghun asked as Bora smirked.</p>
<p>“I didn’t yet, but I know you will be interested as soon as you hear it…” Bora said as Donghun raised a brow suspiciously.</p>
<p>“the one your other officer is watching is named Shuhua. And the one we are about to bust out of this gang’s base is called Yuqi.” Bora said and watched as his expression went from confusion to realization as the name rang a bell.</p>
<p>“The two missing girls? You found them? How? Missing persons have been looking for them for forever!” Donghun said with an impressed expression as Bora waved it off.</p>
<p>“right now, we need to get to Yuqi. If we don’t, they will hurt her. That’s all I know, so we need to move tonight. Someone is in danger.” Bora said as he nodded and pulled out a radio.</p>
<p>“Chan, we may need you, after all. Call in Byeongkwan too. We need a lookout.” Donghun said as Bora tried fighting back her laughter.</p>
<p>“so, you are the leader?” Bora asked as Donghun shook his head.</p>
<p>“no, Byeongkwan is. Jun, who is watching Shuhua, was going to be our team leader, but at the time, he refused it, so the position went to the next one who wanted it. That was Byeongkwan. He's a bit silly, but he is good at his job. Don’t worry.” Donghun said as the others fought their laughter.</p>
<p>“are you sure you shouldn’t be the leader?” Gahyeon asked as he made a face and shook his head.</p>
<p>“no, I prefer being able to do things without all of the paperwork involved,” Donghun said with a smile as he checked his gear.</p>
<p>“do you have anything to wear that will protect you?” Donghun asked as a black van pulled up, followed by several people on bikes. Donghun tensed as soon as Dami’s uncle got out of the van and glanced at him and nodded as Donghun bowed to him politely as Dami looked at him suspiciously.</p>
<p>“Donghun.” Her uncle said as Donghun bowed again and held it.</p>
<p>“uncle,” Donghun said nervously as Dami looked at the two in shock.</p>
<p>“what? You didn’t know he was your cousin?” her uncle asked as Dami’s eyes widened and looked at the guy closely.</p>
<p>“lee Donghun? The one that you thought would take after you but became a cop is THIS Donghun? You work in a gang task force?” Dami asked as Donghun nodded.</p>
<p>“I don’t go after anyone in the family, and my team wouldn’t ask me to. But I do go after other gangs. Uncle sometimes gives us tips too.” Donghun said as Dami nodded.</p>
<p>“well, here is your gear. Hopefully, it will come in handy.” Her uncle said as they unloaded the gear from the back of the van, and soon the men on the girls' bikes hopped into the van and waited for her uncle.</p>
<p>“I'm going to propose to Gahyeon later…” Dami whispered as her uncle's eyes widened in shock and then happiness. It was easy to see that he was soft for both Dami and Gahyeon, so the news made him smile happily.</p>
<p>“well, good luck then. Guess I need to prepare a wedding gift…” he said with a smirk, and suddenly Dami got nervous. That was an evil grin, and he obviously had something planned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once he left, they quickly geared up as Donghun looked away politely. They didn’t have time to go upstairs and change, so it was done quickly, and soon they were ready.</p>
<p>“ok, we are good,” Bora said as she zipped up her jacket and held her helmet.  They all were given the extendable batons and one extra one that was a little special. It was a thick baton with metal strips running down the side, and with the press of a button, it sent electricity through it strong enough to stop a person in their tracks.</p>
<p>They hoped that they wouldn’t have to use it, but this time they weren't going when half the guards were on their lunch break. Shuhua had also said that they were more active at night, so this was going to be no easy task.</p>
<p>Once they were geared up and ready, they waited for Eunwoo and Moonbin to show up with the others. It didn’t take them long. Dami’s uncle had also stopped at the café to drop off their gear and bikes first, so they were ready as well.</p>
<p>“Alright, you all ready?” Donghun asked as the others nodded. They definitely looked ready, but he felt like he was about to start a gang war instead of going on a rescue mission with his backup looking like a motorcycle gang.</p>
<p>Donghun couldn’t help but shake his head as he hopped into his police van and led the way. It was a bit of a drive, and Handong couldn’t help but feel lonely. The last time that she went here, Shuhua was beside her. She also remembered how tightly the girl would hold her when she would ride with Handong, and she missed the warmth at her back and the feeling of her arms around her waist.</p>
<p>But no matter what happens, she would at least be able to free both Shuhua and Yuqi from this mess, and soon they would be free. That was the only thing she focused on the rest of the drive, or she would just make herself feel lonelier.</p>
<p>Handong’s thoughts would continuously return to the girls though no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Soon they arrived, but Handong was now in a foul mood. She was ready to smash her baton into the face of anyone that got in her way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, we are ready. Chan and Byeongkwan have the other two sides with some men, and I made sure to tell them what you are wearing so that you don’t get attacked accidentally.” Donghun said as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>Moonbin was practically bouncing with excitement. He was happy not to be out of commission and able to move around again. As Eunwoo shook his head. But he couldn’t help but smile at his goofy friend.</p>
<p>“Remember to watch for knives.” Handong teased Dami as she tightened her sleeves and readied her weapons. She was determined to break through, so she held the stun baton in one hand and the normal one in the other ready for the fight.</p>
<p>Just like last time, there was a count down, and once it was over, everyone charged in. Handong and her group were going to the main entrance. Moonbin and Eunwoo quickly took out the large guards and opened the doors wide for their group.</p>
<p>Inside there was a large group relaxing, but as soon as the doors opened, they were up and ready for a fight. Unlike the time before, they had proper weapons, and we're not afraid to use them as they charged Handong and the others.</p>
<p>Moonbin darted in quickly as he took out people left and right. His large frame and strength allowed him to take out the people that the others would struggle with, and if someone gave him trouble, he would grab the stun baton that hung from the cord at his waist and would let them have a jolt. They were not much of a fight after that.</p>
<p>Eunwoo also was doing well. But unlike Moonbin, who used his strength, Eunwoo used his skills as he made careful hits to knees elbows or wrists. It didn’t take many hits to your joints before you were down and refusing to get back up.</p>
<p>They had cleared a small path, and Handong could see the door that she knew led to Yuqi. She could feel her adrenaline spike as she stalked to the door smashing her baton into anyone that dared to come even remotely close to her.</p>
<p>One guard made the grave mistake of getting in between Handong and the door and dropped with far fewer teeth than he had a second ago. After that, the guards quickly busied themselves with fighting others and not the girl that looked like she was on the warpath.</p>
<p>Once she got to the door, she braced herself. She knew that there had to be guards there, and there was no way that they didn’t hear the commotion outside. As Handong went to open the door, someone grabbed her shoulder.</p>
<p>Handong instantly wound up to smash her baton into the person's arm when she realized it was Dami. She fought her way through the crowd to help Handong. She could tell where Handong was going and knew that she would need her help.</p>
<p>Dami quickly went to the other side of the door and nodded when Handong asked her if she was ready. Once Handong saw the signal, she ripped open the door as two guards charged out. As if it was planned, the two swung their batons at the same time, smashing both guys in the face.</p>
<p>The girls weren't playing around. They knew that they were going against dangerous people and struck to take them down. If it were a normal situation, they might have felt guilty but not at the moment.</p>
<p>Once the door was clear, Dami quickly peeked around the doorframe and barely dodged as a knife slashed at her helmet. It wouldn’t have done much, but the surprise alone made the girl jump back, but before he could slash at her again, Handong smashed his arm with all her might. He screamed as the two heard bones breaking.</p>
<p>Before he recovered and looked for his knife, Dami kicked him in the face once knocking him out cold and knocked the knife farther away just in case before entering the hallway that they knew held Yuqi.</p>
<p>Once they were inside the hallway, they looked around. There was another door down at the end that the other group used last time to flee. Dami quickly looked around and located a chair and quickly dragged it over and sighed in relief when she noticed the door opened the right way for her plan as she wedged the chair under the doorknob and quickly pulled out her lockpick set.</p>
<p>“just in case, check those guards for the keys. I don’t want to be caught here too long.” Dami said as Handong ran back to the unconscious bodies and searched their pockets when she felt what she was looking for.</p>
<p>It was the same keyring that they found the previous reset. Handong was never so excited to see a set of keys before as she ran over to Dami, showing her the keys.</p>
<p>“Good! Start opening doors! Start with the opposite side of me. We need to get them open as soon as possible. I hear faint noises from behind this door, and that chair won't hold for long…” Dami said as Handong fumbled with the keys and started trying them on the doors.</p>
<p>Even though it killed her, she knew that she needed to follow Dami’s orders, but Yuqi’s door was on the opposite side. Handong looked mournfully at the door before she sighed and unlocked the first door.</p>
<p>The door swung open to show a girl covered in bruises. Whoever this girl was, she didn’t comply with the guards. Handong winced as she walked over to check her.</p>
<p>The girl was unconscious and couldn’t be woken up. Handong didn’t remember seeing this girl before and remembered the girls saying that one girl disappeared a day or two before.</p>
<p><em>‘I remember thinking that maybe she died. And if that happens to be this girl, then she needs hospital treatment right away…’</em> Handong thought as she watched Dami successfully unlock the first door and release a girl. The girl didn’t think twice as she fled. There was no way that Handong could carry the unconscious girl so quickly she shouted to Dami.</p>
<p>Dami rushed over, hearing the panic in Handong’s voice and knew it was serious right away when she noticed the girl's condition.</p>
<p>“take her outside for me, please? I don’t think I can. Also, see if Eunwoo can treat her. We know he has medical knowledge…” Handong asked as Dami nodded quickly and carefully scooped up the unconscious girl and quickly rushed her out.</p>
<p>Handong knew that she needed help opening the doors now that Dami was gone, and she knew just the girl to help.</p>
<p>Quickly Handong fumbled with the keys as she heard someone crash into the door to realize that it was blocked. Handong’s pulse quickened as she started to panic as she looked for the right key and sighed in relief when the key finally slid into the lock successfully.</p>
<p>Handong swung open the door as she looked at her hopefully soon to be girlfriend. Yuqi had woken up to the commotion, but the bright light from the hallway blinded her as she covered her eyes as her eyes adjusted.</p>
<p>“I'm here to get you out of here, Yuqi. but I need your help.” Handong said as she extended her hand, and even though Yuqi’s eyes hadn't adjusted yet, she didn’t hesitate as she reached up and took Handong’s hand and with a quick pull, Yuqi stumbled into the older girl.</p>
<p>Handong held Yuqi carefully to herself as the younger girl gained her balance, but she was rendered speechless when her eyes finally adjusted to the girl in the motorcycle leathers.</p>
<p>Against Handong’s better judgment, she lifted the visor as she looked at Yuqi. The younger girl met Handong’s eyes, and for a second, there almost seemed like a spark of recognition. Like a déjà vu moment before it was quickly gone and replaced with curiosity for her rescuer.</p>
<p>“they are about to break through that door, and I need help getting these doors open. Help me?” Handong asked as Yuqi nodded. Handong quickly unclipped come keys from the keyring, and the two rushed from door to door as they freed the girls.</p>
<p>The fact that Dami hadn’t come back yet made Handong fear for the other girl, but right now, she needed to focus. She opened the last door for the keys she held and looked over to Yuqi. She was near the door, and the banging made her jump. Handong could tell that the door was starting to give way and bolted over to Yuqi just in time.</p>
<p>As Yuqi finally got the door she was working on open, the door behind her finally gave way as a large man crashed through. Yuqi looked up just in time to see the large man barreling towards her, but with one swing of her weighted stun baton, she knocked his feet from underneath him before smashing her regular baton down on the back of his neck knocking out the large man cold.</p>
<p>“let's open that door and get out of here!” Handong shouted, but Yuqi was mesmerized by the girl that just saved her.</p>
<p>“Yuqi! The door!” Handong shouted as she jumped and quickly opened it. This was the door of the girl that Dami freed last time. They quickly got her out and ran out the door to witness the last of the fight.</p>
<p>Donghun was standing in the middle of a pile of bodies as he panted and looked around. Someone managed to cut him just above his left eye, and he blinked rapidly, trying to blink the blood out of his eye and looked around before he noticed the girls with a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“you got her! Get her to the van!” Donghun shouted as Handong nodded and escorted her to safety. But when she walked out of the door with Yuqi and the other girl, they quickly noticed Dami and Eunwoo standing beside an ambulance.</p>
<p>The girl beside her looked at the ambulance, and suddenly her eyes went wide as she recognized the girl that they were working on.</p>
<p>“Soyeon!” the girl shouted as she ran over to the ambulance in a panic. Eunwoo caught her just in time as she watched the paramedics performing CPR on the small girl on the stretcher. The girl that Eunwoo was holding fought helplessly as she tried to get over to her friend. But the sight didn’t look good.</p>
<p>The paramedics were working on the girl for the last couple of minutes. If Handong hadn’t gotten to her first like Dami had said, it might have been too late. But right when everything looked bad, and the paramedics stopped their CPR, several long seconds passed before a faint beeping started.</p>
<p>The girl in Eunwoo’s arms was completely heartbroken as she clung to him, but as soon as she heard the faint beeping, she looked up with a hopeful expression.</p>
<p>The paramedics were amazed. They were sure that there was no way the beaten and abused girl could make it through, but they now were watching her heart rhythm beeping steadily across the monitor.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for the paramedics to jump into action, and soon they managed to stabilize the girl, and soon they were closing the doors as they rushed her to the hospital.</p>
<p>The girl in Eunwoo’s arms didn’t want to be left behind, but Eunwoo promised to take her to the hospital right after.</p>
<p>“let's get everyone to the hospital to get everyone checked out, and once that is done, we will take your statements, then you will be free to go. let's get to the van, ok?” Donghun asked the upset girl. Once the question was asked, though, she nodded excitedly.</p>
<p>“What is your name?” Donghun asked as he talked gently to her while walking her to the van. The girl looked at him with a suspicious look but finally sighed as she looked at him tiredly.</p>
<p>“Soojin… Seo Soojin.” The girl said as Donghun smiled.  He was glad that she was able to tell him her name. from the look of her, she obviously didn’t trust men right now, so he was glad that she trusted him enough to tell him her name.</p>
<p>“well, Soojin. Let's get you to the hospital with the others. I know you are worried about your friend.” He said with a smile as she nodded and slowly climbed into the van.</p>
<p>“let’s quickly get you checked too. Once that is done, we will go to rescue Shuhua.” Handong said as Yuqi’s eyes went wide at the mention of her friend's name.</p>
<p>“you know Shuhua?” Yuqi asked as Handong smiled softly.</p>
<p>“it's hard to explain. Let's just say I like her.” Handong said as Yuqi smiled. This girl definitely caught her interest. Yuqi also thought it was cute that Handong switched into Chinese automatically when she went to say something that she wasn’t sure that Yuqi would want others to understand.</p>
<p>“Handong, we got everyone in the van, but we are out of room. You will need to take her on your bike…” Minji said with a wink. Handong couldn’t help but grin, she knew what Minji was doing and couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>“well, let's go!” Handong said as she led Yuqi to her bike and helped her climb on. Handong sighed happily as Yuqi wrapped her arms around her waist, and soon, they were off to the hospital.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Shuhua’s Surprise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Handong smiled as she drove to the hospital with Yuqi holding onto her waist tightly. Handong felt like her heart was soring as Yuqi snuggled into her back to avoid the wind. Everything just felt right, but she had to remind herself that this wasn’t the last repeat. Yuqi doesn’t remember her.</p>
<p>With a sad sigh, she came back to reality. There was a chance that Yuqi, as well as Shuhua, wouldn’t make the same choice as last time. There was a chance that Handong would be all alone again. The thought of being alone never bothered her before, but it did now.</p>
<p>Just imagining it made her chest ache. Yuqi could feel Handong tensing and tightened her grip slightly, trying to comfort the cool biker girl that saved her. She could feel Handong relaxing slowly at her hold and smiled. She didn’t know how this girl already knew her name, but she liked her.</p>
<p>It was a couple more minutes with Yuqi snuggling against Handong’s back before the girls pulled up to the hospital. She should have arrived first, but she was enjoying how Yuqi was holding her and slowed down to give herself a bit more time. She thought it would go unnoticed, but she was wrong. Everyone noticed. Including Yuqi, who smiled into the back of Handong’s jacket.</p>
<p>Once the two finally arrived, Handong carefully helped the younger girl off of the bike and took off her jacket and draped it over Yuqi. The cold wind had chilled the younger girl greatly. Snuggling against Handong’s back for warmth helped, but it didn’t warm her up completely.</p>
<p>Yuqi smiled as she wrapped the jacket around her. Handong was wearing perfume, and the jacket smelled like a mix of her perfume and leather. Yuqi liked it a lot as she took a deep breath in as Handong rested her hand on Yuqi’s back and led her inside slowly.</p>
<p>Handong didn’t see any visible injuries that looked too severe, but she didn’t want to risk it. Yuqi was very beaten and bruised last time, and Handong prayed that she got to her before it happened this time.</p>
<p>Once they were inside, Handong helped her sign in and talked with the others while Yuqi was getting X-rays done. It turned out that she had several old fractures on her ribs and an old fracture on her arm that had all healed but one rib.</p>
<p>There were several old bruises and cuts but nothing severe, which was a relief to Handong. She got to her in time and couldn’t help but smile softly to herself.</p>
<p>Yuqi was watching Handong with a fascinated expression. She couldn’t help but be intrigued by the woman. She definitely seemed like she knew her. And even with her tough appearance with the biker clothes, she was gentle with her.</p>
<p>Yuqi would occasionally also see a hint of a fun and flirty side here and there that also interested her more. Plus, it didn’t hurt that she was extremely pretty.</p>
<p>After the medical exam, Donghun came in and asked Yuqi some questions. It wasn’t long before everything was done, and Handong told them that both Yuqi and Shuhua were welcome to stay at her apartment.</p>
<p>Yuqi was surprised at the offer but also excited. Something about Handong drew her in. She felt familiar and new at the same time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We just got a call from jun. we need to get over and grab the others while you go to rescue Shuhua. If we do this quickly, we can be gone before anyone knows what happened. that’s the only way you can catch this Sanha guy.” Donghun said as Handong nodded.</p>
<p>“oh, also, that girl made it. They didn’t think she would, but she held on until the end. She is in the ICU. Her friend is still freaking out, but she seems alright as well.” Donghun said as Handong smiled. She had been worried about the two when she arrived.</p>
<p>“I will go let Bora and the others know. Come on, Yuqi.” Handong said as she extended her hand. She suddenly worried that it was too soon to do that when Yuqi smiled, causing her heart to do backflips as the smaller girl threaded her fingers with Handong’s and signaled Handong to lead the way.</p>
<p>The action made Handong blank out for a moment, but after a couple seconds of Handong being frozen in shock, she smiled softly and winked at Yuqi as they walked to the others. It was easy to spot them if you looked for everyone in the leather jackets.</p>
<p>Handong smiled as she felt Yuqi squeeze her hand nervously as they walked up to Handong’s friends. The older girl gently rubbed the back of Yuqi’s hand with her thumb calming her down greatly.</p>
<p>“Donghun says we need to go get Shuhua now. We also need to do it quickly and as quietly as possible. The sooner we get this done, the better a chance we have at getting Sanha.” Handong said as Bora’s eyes flashed excitedly.</p>
<p>Bora had been waiting for this moment. If they save Shuhua, she can help set up the sting operation, and they can quickly catch him and end this. Siyeon will finally be safe again.</p>
<p>“Alright, let's go get your other girl,” Bora said wickedly as she winked at Yuqi, who blushed a vivid shade of red.</p>
<p>“other girl? How do you know Shuhua again?” Yuqi asked nervously as Handong smiled softly at Yuqi. The younger girl could feel her heart melt at the sight and gulped as she looked at Handong intently.</p>
<p>“I can't explain it right now, but I like her. And learning more about her lead me to you where I fell for you too. I know it sounds weird to fall for two people, but it's true.” Handong said as Yuqi’s heart pounded inside her chest.</p>
<p>Handong didn’t know what effect she had on the shorter girl, and if she did, she would have surely teased her a lot more.</p>
<p>Everyone was outside on their bikes as they waited for Donghun, who would lead the raid. The plan was like last time. The girls would go up and buy drugs from the one who acted like the leader, and while Dami and Eunwoo keep them distracted, Handong and Yuqi would take Shuhua with them, and that was when the police would move in.</p>
<p>Handong was not very fond of the idea of bringing Yuqi so close to danger, but she said that she may not trust Handong the first day without Yuqi, and Handong couldn’t deny that. The first day they met, Shuhua was very suspicious of everyone.</p>
<p>As soon as Donghun stepped out with the others, everyone started their bikes and readied themselves. Donghun climbed into the driver's seat of the van, and soon, they all left as they headed towards Shuhua’s location.</p>
<p>Handong was in the lead because Shuhua had told her where she would sell before they moved to the bridge. It was a couple minute drive, and soon they were close. It wasn’t long before Handong called Dami on her helmet.</p>
<p>“it's up ahead. Turn down the alley on the right, and they should be there.”  Handong said as Dami nodded and gave her a thumbs up.</p>
<p>“I got this, you go around the back of the alley and be ready,” Dami said as Handong sighed nervously.</p>
<p>Yuqi squeezed her slightly as she leaned in closer. Her warmth soothing Handong’s nerves as she cut around the back and killed the engine. They could hear Dami making a deal, and soon her phone buzzed, telling her to move in and grab Shuhua.</p>
<p>Handong glanced over at Yuqi as she nodded that she was ready. It was time to grab Shuhua. Quickly Handong pulled off her helmet and put it on Yuqi’s head. She didn’t want the guys recognizing her, and soon they were ready.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two quietly stalked over. The appearance of the big group seemed to have all of their attention, allowing Handong and Yuqi to sneak up to Shuhua easily.</p>
<p>“man… this is so boring…” Yuqi whispered to Shuhua as she nodded and froze, recognizing the voice beside her. She looked over to see Yuqi looking laughable in a helmet too large for her beside a girl in a leather jacket that hugged her curves well.</p>
<p>Shuhua couldn’t help but think that it was made for her. Everything looked perfect on her, and Shuhua couldn’t help but be a bit stunned at the girl standing in front of her. She almost felt familiar, but at the same time, not. But just like Yuqi, Shuhua noticed how beautiful the girl in front of her was.</p>
<p>“let's go. We are getting you out of here. Handong said as she extended a gloved hand. Shuhua quickly looked over her shoulder and could see that everyone was still distracted by the biker group that was dressed exactly the same as the girl that held Yuqi and Shuhua’s hands as they snuck around the corner.</p>
<p>When they got around the corner, a man was standing near Handong’s bike. The three almost screamed in surprise, but he shushed them as he held out the badge for Handong to see.</p>
<p><em>‘ah. This must be jun.’</em> Handong thought, but the sight of the badge caused Shuhua to panic.</p>
<p>“it's ok. He's on our side, and I would never let him do anything to you. I promise.” Handong said sincerely as she stared into Shuhua’s eyes. Without knowing it, Shuhua held her breath and didn’t breathe until Yuqi leaned in and whispered into her ear.</p>
<p>“breathe! And I know. She has that effect on me too.” Yuqi said as Shuhua took in a small gasp of air and looked at her friend. She assured her everything was alright, and Shuhua couldn’t help but trust the woman in front of her when their eyes met.</p>
<p>“Please, trust me…” Handong said, but it sounded more like a plea than anything else. Shuhua nodded silently as Handong gently grasped her hand and led her back to the bike.</p>
<p>“now once the three of you are gone, we will swoop in. go now, but tell me where you will be.” Jun said as Handong leaned in and told him the address before quickly helping the two on her bike. It was an interesting sight, but luckily, they got home safely.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as they pulled up to the apartment, Dami sent her a text saying that they caught everyone and Handong couldn’t help but sigh in relief. If even one escaped, then the entire plan could be ruined if word of the raid got back to Sanha.</p>
<p><em>‘Thankfully, that went well. Now one last part. Well, two…’</em> Handong thought to herself as she looked over to Shuhua. She looked nervous as she looked at Handong’s apartment building.</p>
<p>“let's go inside and get you two something to eat,” Handong said as she walked inside first. The two looked at each other for a second before rushing to catch up, but they rushed for nothing. Handong was patiently holding the elevator for the girls with a soft smile.</p>
<p>“unless you want to take the stairs?” Handong asked with a mischievous look. The two quickly jumped into the elevator at the mention of stairs and Handong couldn’t help but think that they were cute.</p>
<p>Once the elevator doors opened, Handong walked out and quickly keyed in the passcode and held the door open for the two.</p>
<p>Yuqi looked at Shuhua and shrugged before walking into the apartment. Shuhua, however, hesitated, but when she looked into Handong’s eyes, she could see her pleading look and without realizing it walked inside the apartment.</p>
<p><em>‘great… I'm probably going to get murdered…’</em> Shuhua thought as she gulped and looked around the apartment, but to her shock, it looked nothing like what she expected a biker girl’s apartment to look like.</p>
<p>What even surprised her more was that a cute cat that walked up to Handong. Instantly Handong picked him up as she babied him. The two couldn’t help but think it was adorable as they watched the calm and cool girl turn into mush for the cat.</p>
<p>Once both the cat and Handong were satisfied with the snuggling, he hopped down and walked off. It wasn’t long before Handong worried about what to do. She knew that the same scenario wouldn’t happen as last time. What she needed to do is talk to Shuhua.</p>
<p>“Shuhua? Can I speak to you for a moment?” Handong asked as Yuqi winked at Handong while wishing her good luck. She hoped that she had luck on her side today as Shuhua nervously walked into the room Handong led her too,</p>
<p>Handong instantly regretted the decision because she led the girl into her bedroom of all places. The only thing Shuhua could do was stare at the bed nervously.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, this is the only room that isn’t cluttered… Handong said before going to go to another room.</p>
<p>“it's alright. What do you need to say?” Shuhua asked as she watched Handong become nervous. It was really cute to the younger girl.</p>
<p>“well, the first news is about your parents,” Handong said as Shuhua looked at her in shock. She wasn’t expecting the conversation to go to her parents, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>“what about them?” Shuhua asked sadly. She had been told that her family had never looked for her or that they were dead. That was the only reason that they wouldn’t come looking for her, right?</p>
<p>Without thinking, Handong rested her hand on Shuhua’s cheek and smiled softly, making the younger girl look at her.</p>
<p>“your parents are on the way. They never gave up looking for you and are relieved to hear that you are alive. They should be here in the next day or two to verify your identity. I know that they confiscated your passport and id. Now you can get them back.” Handong said as Shuhua sighed in relief.</p>
<p>She had worried about her parents. It wasn’t like them to not look for her, but she did just tell them that she was gay right before coming to Korea. She had worried that they turned their backs on her. It was a relief to know that wasn’t the case.</p>
<p>Shuhua didn’t realize till now that she leaned into Handong’s touch automatically. Her touch was gentle and warm. It helped calm Shuhua, and she couldn’t help but smile even if she suddenly felt awkward.</p>
<p>“Is this all?” Shuhua asked as she looked up at Handong, who suddenly looked nervous. The taller girl shook her head before walking around the room to calm herself. She didn’t want to act like she did last time. Yes, it would be easier, but Handong wanted Shuhua to fall for Handong, not the role that she was playing.</p>
<p>Shuhua couldn’t help but frown. She missed the older girl's touch.she could still feel the lingering warmth, but it was slowly fading. Handong’s touch was different from Yuqi’s, and something about the older girl drew Shuhua’s attention.</p>
<p>Finally, Handong got her nerve back as she walked over to Shuhua and gently reached for her hands while looking into Shuhua’s eyes for permission. She smiled softly when Shuhua let her.</p>
<p>“I know this is going to sound crazy… you have only met me today… but I wanted you to know I like you. I couldn’t let you and Yuqi stay in that situation any longer, I didn’t want either of you to get hurt…” Handong said as she looked worriedly into Shuhua’s eyes.</p>
<p>The younger girl could feel that Handong was extremely nervous and couldn’t help but find it cute. For a split second, she almost felt like she remembered something, but it was gone before she could really grasp the image in her mind. What she did know was that it was related to Handong.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry, I know this sounds crazy, but I don’t know if I can tell-“ Handong’s nervous rambling was silenced by Shuhua as their lips met. It was the same feeling that she had briefly. Something was special about Handong, just like there was something special with Yuqi.</p>
<p>Suddenly Shuhua stopped. Yuqi. How could she explain their relationship to Handong? Everything just felt perfect a minute ago, but now reality was crashing down on Shuhua, or so she thought. Handong noticed the struggle and smiled mischievously.</p>
<p>“you want to bring Yuqi in now, don't you?” Handong asked as Shuhua’s jaw dropped in shock. Had they been obvious? That she knew of she and Yuqi hadn’t been close since she had been rescued, so how did the older girl know unless?</p>
<p>“I, um we…” Shuhua stuttered as Handong smiled and put her hands on the sides of Shuhua’s face and kissed her gently. Before Shuhua knew it, she melted into the kiss as Handong deepened it slowly.</p>
<p>Shuhua was left breathless when they finally broke apart. The kiss was amazing, but she still had to be sure of something.</p>
<p>“so Yuqi, you and I…” Shuhua asked as Handong nodded to kiss her softer this time.</p>
<p>“yes. I wouldn’t break you two apart, but I would love it if you would think of the three of us-“ she didn’t get much farther when the door opened as Yuqi barreled in.</p>
<p>“yes, we agree! Or I agree, do you Shuhua?” Yuqi asked as Shuhua nodded. She was too dizzy and breathless from the kisses to talk.</p>
<p>Handong’s face brightened as Yuqi bounced over for her kiss now, and Handong couldn’t feel any better. Actually, she took that back. It got much better when they moved to the bed.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Is The Pain A Good Sign?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Handong woke up in a panic. She had feared that she lost her girls again only to feel their weight resting on her body. With a sigh of relief, she looked at the two sleeping girls and smiled. Everything managed to work out, and she would do everything that she could so that she would never lose them again.</p>
<p>Sanha needs to go. That is the only way to protect her relationship and Handong has never felt this motivated in her life. As she looked down at the two sleeping soundly, she couldn’t help but smile. Shuhua was sleeping happily snuggled to one side as her other hand held Yuqi’s gently.</p>
<p>Handong knew that they would soon be interrupted. Jun would have to come by and interview Shuhua to get all of the info that he needs to get the warrant for Sanha. When Handong told Donghun that Sanha was the supplier for the hidden camera videos, he instantly called Jun and had him start setting up for catching him.</p>
<p>Just her luck. As she thought of Jun, a knock was heard on her front door. With a groan, she tried to sit up as the two cutely protested.</p>
<p>“I know, but we need to get up. It’s time for him to ask you some questions. Alright?” Handong asked Shuhua, who just pouted and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She clearly was enjoying her sleep and didn’t like the interruption.</p>
<p>With Yuqi’s help, they finally dragged her out of bed. Yuqi got her dressed while Handong walked over to answer the door. Just as expected, there was Jun smiling and holding up his notebook and voice recorder.</p>
<p>“The girls told me to give you a while, so I waited an hour or two before heading over,” Jun said with a wink and walked inside to sit on the couch to wait for the girls.</p>
<p>Yuqi led a very sleepy Shuhua out into the living room and sat her down across from Jun. She looked grumpy that her sleep was disturbed. He chuckled and promised that he would be as quick as possible. Finally, Shuhua smiled as Jun started his questioning.</p>
<p>Jun was more thorough than Byeongkwan, and his questions with Shuhua’s answers would protect her from anyone trying to blame her legally. It was awe-inspiring to Handong. Even she hadn’t thought of some things as he asked them.</p>
<p>Once he was done, he smiled politely and left promising that once their parents arrived that they would let the girls know and also gave the two their families contact numbers.</p>
<p>“now they are on a flight right now, so expect not to get an answer for another couple of hours. Ok?” Jun asked as the two nodded and smiled happily.</p>
<p> The news about the girls' families was something that made them extremely happy. The two knew that it might be a tense reunion at first due to how they left, but the idea of being able to get a hug from their parents again made them smile.</p>
<p>Once Handong walked Jun out, she got a call from Bora. Just like last time, the plan was for the girls to be arrested to not gain a lot of attention just in case some of them escaped. When Bora finally called, she and the others were walking out of the police station and about to head home.</p>
<p>“hey! How did it go?” Bora asked with a wicked tone in her voice. Handong smirked as she looked at the two that were now eating at the bar. While Jun questioned the two, Handong ordered food for them to eat. They never got a chance to before, and she was sure that they were hungry.</p>
<p>“Better than the first time…” Handong said with a laugh causing Bora to look at her phone in shock.</p>
<p>“well damn… nice!” Bora said as Handong laughed happily. She couldn’t help but be happy as she looked at the two.  They were playfully joking while eating and looked over to see what was taking Handong so long.</p>
<p>“When are we going after Sanha?” Handong asked as she smiled at the two and listened carefully.</p>
<p>“We go after him in two days we will need Shuhua’s help again, but this will go better than before. I'm not leaving the journal out this time…” Bora said with a groan while Handong laughed.</p>
<p>“ok. Well, I will talk to you in two days,” Handong said with a giggle as she hung up and walked over to the two that were pouting at her absence.</p>
<p>Once they were done eating, the three decided to snuggle together on the bed and watch tv. Like usual, Handong was in the middle, and she was utterly content. They dozed off and on as they watched different shows until they all finally fell asleep. It was an adorable scene as the two snuggled with Handong.</p>
<p>Their breathing was like a lullaby for Handong. As she listened to their chests rise and fall, she felt sleepier as her eyes got heavier until she finally drifted off to sleep. They were quite content and didn’t wake until morning.</p>
<p>Handong was the first one to wake up and looked at the two as her chest ached from the cuteness overload before her. Yuqi was snuggled cutely with her mouth open, and Handong couldn’t deal with it. As she looked over to Shuhua, it wasn’t much better for her heart.</p>
<p>Shuhua was breathing slowly as she slept, but when Handong inhaled, Shuhua slowly looked up, making eye contact with Handong and smiled sweetly.</p>
<p>“morning…” Shuhua said softly as Handong smiled too.</p>
<p>“Good morning,” Handong said as she kissed the top of Shuhua’s head. As she did, Shuhua smiled sweetly as she closed her eyes happily and snuggled closer.</p>
<p>“you are leaving me out already?” Yuqi asked with a pout as the two looked over at her. As soon as the two looked over to her, she couldn’t hold it any longer as she smiled.</p>
<p>“good morning, you two,” Yuqi said as she smiled happily and hugged the other two. As they had a moment, Handong’s phone went off. With a groan, she leaned back and grabbed the phone to see a call from Jun.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Handong asked, and after a quick conversation, Handong shot up in bed and started getting ready while holding the phone to her ear.</p>
<p>“alright. We will be there soon. Thank you.” Handong said as she tried to pull on her pants while still holding her phone with her shoulder.</p>
<p>“what's wrong?” the two looked worried as they slid to the edge of the bed nervously as they watched Handong sorting through her clothes.</p>
<p>“your parents will arrive at the airport soon. We need to leave now… I think these will fit. here.” Handong said as she handed some clothing to the two.</p>
<p>The two looked at each other for a second before the two joined Handong in a panicked rush to get dressed.</p>
<p>“how long do we have?” Shuhua asked as Yuqi struggled with her shirt due to the panic. Handong quickly walked over and helped her get her head through the shirt and tugged it down gently before leaning in to kiss Yuqi lightly on the lips.</p>
<p>“relax. We have an hour. We will get there on time. And if we are late, Donghun and Jun are waiting for them so that we won't miss them. Relax.” Handong said as she rested her hands on Yuqi’s shoulders.</p>
<p>The younger girl relaxed a bit and smiled before leaning in for one last kiss and soon finished getting ready.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if we can all ride to the airport on one bike. We may be pulled over.” Shuhua said as Handong finished pulling on her shoes and opened the door to reveal Bora.</p>
<p>“Someone needs a ride?” Bora asked as Handong smiled. She had messaged Bora right after getting the call, and Bora quickly agreed and started getting ready.</p>
<p>Handong first wanted to borrow Bora’s car, but Bora said that if there was traffic, the bikes could get around it where the car would be stuck, and Handong couldn’t deny that. But imagining one of them with their arms around Bora made her heart ache.</p>
<p>“let’s go, or we may be late!” Bora said as the three left and walked down to their bikes. Once everyone had their helmets on, they quickly raced over to the airport.</p>
<p>Just like Bora said, there was traffic this time of the morning, but the bikes easily zigzagged in and out of cars until they arrived at the airport successfully. Once they parked the bikes, the girls ran in just in time.</p>
<p>Handong looked around until she spotted Jun standing among all of the people and quickly called out to him.</p>
<p>Jun jumped at the sound of his name and looked around until he spotted the four girls running over.</p>
<p>“good timing. Their flight just landed, and we are just waiting for them to come out.” Jun said as he smiled and looked around and spotted someone he recognized and quickly shouted and waved to get his attention.</p>
<p>The reunion was tense but sweet. Shuhua and Yuqi were afraid of what their parents would say, but instead of something negative about the past, they grabbed them and hugged the girls desperately.</p>
<p>Once the emotional part was over, they quickly went to the police station and verified the girls' identity, and soon the girls had access to their bank accounts again. It was nice to feel like a real human being again and not treated like trash.</p>
<p>During the whole time, Handong stood with the two giving them support or comfort when they needed it, and their parents didn’t miss the looks the three would exchange. The girls' parents still weren't ok with their daughters' sexual orientation, but they were told that the one person that was responsible was Handong by Jun.</p>
<p>They could tell from the looks that everything was mutual, and all of them were adults, so they didn’t have anything to complain about. They just got their daughters back, and they weren't going to lose them again.</p>
<p>After they escorted the two families to their hotels, the girls had to decide where they were going to live.</p>
<p>“Just stay with me,” Handong said as the two looked at her with a worried expression. They didn’t want her to change her mind about their relationship and worried that it would be too soon, but Handong assured them it wasn’t even a possibility. It happened very fast, but she fell in love with not one girl but two.</p>
<p>Handong tried to imagine waking up without the two beside her. But it was too painful to think about. She had already lost them once, and she didn’t want to do it again. She feared that if they were separated, their feelings for her would cool.</p>
<p>“Please?” Handong asked as she pouted cutely. She tried to hide her worry by joking and prayed that they would accept her offer, and luckily it worked. Yuqi and Shuhua decided to stay with Handong.</p>
<p>She couldn’t feel happier as she took turns spinning the two around happily, making the guests around them look at her like she was crazy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-later that night-</p>
<p>Handong Shuhua and Yuqi got back to the apartment, Bora called her. Donghun wanted to meet up and plan the sting to catch Sanha. With a sigh, Handong and Shuhua headed over to the café with Bora and the others.</p>
<p>Eunwoo greeted them and was sporting a nice cut above his eye. Handong raised a brow at him as she silently questioned the injury. It looked fresh and like it hurt, but Eunwoo seemed to not even notice it.</p>
<p>The two had everyone sit down before they pulled Eunwoo aside to question what happened.</p>
<p>“ok… spill. What happened?” Bora asked as the two led him to a chair. Donghun came up with the first aid kit from Eunwoo’s back office as he shook his head at his friend.</p>
<p>“you went there on purpose, didn’t you? You wanted to see what he would say before we intervened, didn’t you?” Donghun asked as Eunwoo smiled sadly.</p>
<p>“yes. I know it was stupid. I was hoping that some part of my friend was inside him, but there is nothing. Instead of apologizing for what happened, he threw a punch. Not what I expected.” Eunwoo said with the same sad smile on his face as Donghun dabbed the stinging liquid onto the cut.</p>
<p>Bora and Handong watched Eunwoo twitch each time the liquid was applied with a frown. They both worried that he might have made a mistake. One that may let Sanha escape from their grasp again when Eunwoo reassured them.</p>
<p>“don’t worry. We had a ‘freak run in’ in the street. It won't affect anything.” Eunwoo said as the two looked at each other worriedly. They hoped that he was right because that’s all they can do.</p>
<p>“well, let's go back over to the others and talk to them. We need to figure everything out.” Donghun said as he patted Eunwoo’s shoulder, signaling that he was done, and soon they were all sitting around the same table.</p>
<p>“ok, from what Eunwoo told me, Shuhua is the one that has contact with Sanha, right?” Donghun asked as she nodded nervously. Handong was now worried that maybe Yuqi should have gone with them for support for Shuhua, but the girl was exhausted.</p>
<p>Yuqi was now so used to being locked in a tiny room that moving around a lot was now extremely tiring. The two knew that Yuqi needed her rest, but both of them were now wishing the cheery girl was there beside them.</p>
<p>“ok, that makes it easier. When you call him, complain about a new guard that is now babysitting you everywhere. That will be Jun or me. that way, he will expect someone different.” Donghun said as Shuhua nodded.</p>
<p>“We also will set up at the underpass that Bora recommended and make it look like you are still selling the drugs. Just in case he knows the new location and comes to buy randomly. We want him to not suspect anything.” Donghun said as the others nodded.</p>
<p>The group continued to talk about the plan, and soon they went to plan out everything. The girls needed to prepare to act as buyers, and Donghun was to be the new bodyguard while the rest of her ‘crew’ would be other officers all ready to catch Sanha.</p>
<p>As planned, they went and acted the whole night like buyers as the officers got into their role for the next night, and luckily it went well. Those that did buy something were soon quickly picked up by the police for various reasons and miraculously found the drugs.</p>
<p>By the end of the night, Bora and the others were exhausted. Shuhua was used to it, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t tired as she rested her head on Handong’s shoulder. Minji and Yoohyeon were both exhausted as they leaned against each other for support. They were truly asleep on their feet by the end of the night.</p>
<p>“ok, lets head home. Handong’s phone has been going off for the last thirty minutes. It seems someone is feeling lonely.” Bora said as Handong and Shuhua messaged Yuqi back, looking guiltily. They were caught messaging Yuqi.</p>
<p>Soon they all went home and crashed after hot showers. Unless you were Yoohyeon, she walked straight to the bed and faceplanted into the bed and didn’t move until morning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day was hectic, as everyone made sure that they were geared up and protected while going over the plan one last time. Everyone was on edge as they planned what to do, so now that it was the main day, everyone was on high alert.</p>
<p>Bora was extremely nervous as she said goodbye to Siyeon as she went to practice, and soon Bora pulled out her gear and got ready. She double checked, and triple checked that the journal was hidden in a safe place, and soon the others called.</p>
<p>With a deep breath, she looked around the room one last time. The images of finding Siyeon in the living room and memories of Bora dying in Siyeon’s arms were there before her like ghosts as her imagination took over. Finally, Bora walked out the door and slowly closed it.</p>
<p>As if the journal was reminding her what was at stake, all of the injuries from the previous repeats ached slowly before fading away. Bora didn’t know what this meant, but she hoped that this meant that they were finally going to finish this properly.</p>
<p>Once she met up with everyone, they all explained the same symptoms. Bora was worried that the phantom pains would come back at a wrong time but prayed that it was just her worrying too much.</p>
<p>“Dami couldn’t lift her arm all of a sudden. It was like when she was in the hospital all over again. The panic on her face still worries me…” Gahyeon said as she sighed worriedly and hugged her girlfriend around the neck.</p>
<p>“I felt my first death very clearly…” Minji said as she touched her throat and looked at Yoohyeon with a worried look. She remembered Yoohyeon bleeding beside her in that alley and couldn’t help but reach for Yoohyeon as she held her hand nervously.</p>
<p>“let's think of this as a sign we will succeed, alright?” Bora asked as everyone nodded.</p>
<p>Soon Donghun, Jinwoo, Minhyuk, and MJ arrived as Eunwoo and Moonbin served the drinks before sitting down. It was always stressful right before an operation, and they could feel the tense atmosphere.</p>
<p>Their gear was ready, and all they had to do was wait. But they needed to go and do something before everyone would go insane from the anxiety.</p>
<p>“We ready? Jinwoo asked the others as Bora looked at everyone and nodded.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Sanha’s Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Everyone was anxious, so they decided to do something right before it was time to go. Donghun suggested to show some of them how to defend themselves to Jinwoo, and they then called Byeongkwan so that they had someone to practice on. As soon as he mentioned that they would be practicing on Byeongkwan, the girls readily agreed.</p>
<p>When Jinwoo called Byeongkwan, it didn’t take much to get him to come, and once he arrived, the boys moved the tables out of the way as Donghun ran them through different drills showing them things that Dami’s bodyguard lessons didn’t teach.</p>
<p>Dami was intrigued by her cousin the more she watched him. He was from the same family, which was notorious in the criminal world and still managed to become a cop without turning on his family or ending up dead as a snitch. She found him fascinating. He was a very good guy, and it made her think about what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. The restaurant was a good backup, but she wanted to do something and not just pick up her checks every month.</p>
<p>When it was Handong against Byeongkwan, he made the mistake of commenting about Yuqi and Shuhua and was met with an extremely low blow.  Even with the padding, he dropped like a stone as the girl scoffed and walked off in annoyance as everyone else cringed at his pain.</p>
<p>He learned really quickly not to talk about Handong’s girls, or there would be pain. And when it was Yuqi’s turn, she also made sure he knew how she felt about that comment as he massaged his bruised foot.</p>
<p> Once the others got some practice in, they started to feel better. Their anxiety seemed to fade a bit, and they now felt more prepared than they did before. They actually felt more prepared than they did any time before, and they prayed that was a good sign.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Soon it was time to start everything. Shuhua was going to go to the meeting spot with Donghun as the other officers moved into position while Yuqi would stay with Handong as they watched from a lookout point.</p>
<p>Bora was on her bike with Minji Moonbin Eunwoo and Yoohyeon and would act as a chaser for anyone who would try to flee. Their bikes would allow them to go places that the officers couldn’t with their cars. Sanha would most likely try to run, and they were ready for it.</p>
<p>As for Dami and Gahyeon, they were with Jun near Sanha’s apartment. Eunwoo made a deal with Donghun when he told the officer about their plan. As soon as Sanha is captured, they could swap the urn of his fiancé with the fake. It would allow them to get her ashes back to Eunbin because they didn’t want her ashes being locked in an evidence room for who knows how long. Plus, her hair would still be in the case, allowing them to prove that Sanha was the murderer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dami was there for the alarm system and getting inside before they got an official warrant with Jun while Gahyeon kept a lookout. They wanted the urn swapped before they officially swept the apartment. Otherwise, it would be seized as evidence.</p>
<p>Everyone was in position and waited. Sanha wasn’t supposed to appear until around midnight, but he may watch to see this new guard, so they made sure to act like normal as everyone waited for their target to appear.</p>
<p>Shuhua was doing good, and Donghun acting as a guard and held his character well when one of the civilians tried to grab Shuhua. He grabbed the man and almost punched him in the face to keep up the act and had the others escort the person away with a bit of force. They didn’t want it to look like the guy got off easy.</p>
<p>It was around midnight when everyone had a hard time not looking tense. But they managed to pull it off, and It wasn’t long before Sanha made an appearance. He slowly walked up as he continuously scanned everything. Handong watched with Yuqi and noticed how paranoid he looked and frowned.</p>
<p>“he's going to bolt. You can tell he is acting paranoid…” Handong whispered into Yuqi’s ear, causing the other girl to shiver at the feeling of her breath on her neck. Handong took note of it but didn’t say anything. It was good to know that the girl's neck was sensitive.</p>
<p>The deal looked like it was going well, and they even watched him hand over the flash drive with videos over to Donghun when suddenly Sanha bolted. Donghun chased after him but couldn’t catch him. Quickly he pulled out a radio and called across it.</p>
<p>“Sanha is on the run! After him!” Donghun shouted as Bora Eunwoo and Moonbin launched out of the alley and zipped towards where he was seen last. Minji and Yoohyeon quickly went another way, thinking that they knew where he was heading.</p>
<p>Bora Eunwoo and Moonbin quickly passed Donghun as he pointed in the direction that Sanha was last seen. Bora quickly touched her helmet and called the two. They needed a plan, and that is just what she had.</p>
<p>“hey. You two follow his trail. I'm going to try to go down some side streets and look for him. Ok?” Bora asked as the two quickly agreed as they went on the hunt for Sanha.</p>
<p>“he's on foot. How far could he have gotten? We are way past where he could run.” Eunwoo said as he looked around. Moonbin also agreed, and soon the two turned around when they spotted movement in an alley.</p>
<p>Quickly they pulled over and told Bora they might have found something as the two approached the alley with caution. They could hear swearing and knew the voice right away. It was definitely Sanha. They found him.</p>
<p>Slowly they walked up as Eunwoo cleared his throat and stood behind his once friend confidently.</p>
<p> Sanha quickly spun around to look at the two. They were still wearing their dark helmets, and Sanha could see nothing through it. All he could see is that two bikers were blocking his path and quickly reached into his pocket to pull out a knife. It was a knife that everyone had experienced now, and Eunwoo couldn’t help but wonder if it was also the same one used on his fiancé.</p>
<p>“is that the same knife you used on my fiancé?” Eunwoo asked flatly as Sanha tilted his head slightly in confusion. The drugs running through his system with the adrenaline caused him to be confused and unable to recognize Eunwoo’s voice, but when Eunwoo lifted the visor., Sanha’s eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“well, is it?” Eunwoo asked as Sanha looked at him with a shocked expression.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you are talking about…” Sanha said as Eunwoo scoffed. Even to the end, when he's cornered, he didn’t apologize but only tried to cover himself, and it sickened Eunwoo. This wasn’t his friend anymore.</p>
<p>“you do know, and so do we…” Moonbin said as he lifted his visor to look at their once friend. Sanha’s eyes went wide. He remembered the situation that happened earlier in the week when he hit Eunwoo. Moonbin came out of nowhere and hit him back. So, the sight of Eunwoo’s muscular protector made Sanha nervous.</p>
<p>“what do you want with me? I'm busy!” Sanha shouted as he slashed at Moonbin. But he didn’t move as the knife glanced off of his jacket easily. Sanha’s eyes went wide as he realized that his knife wouldn’t work and panicked. Quickly he tried to throw a punch, but Moonbin blocked it. Right as Sanha went to try something else, a fist flew at his face knocking him to the ground.</p>
<p>Eunwoo stood over Sanha as he gave a look of pure hatred at Sanha. Not once did Sanha apologize or seem the least bit remorseful, and it enraged Eunwoo. His best friend took away who he cared most for at the time, and he couldn’t hold back his anger anymore.</p>
<p>“why? WHY!” Eunwoo shouted as he punched Sanha. The younger one could only laugh even though it enraged Eunwoo more. Every laugh led to another hit, and soon Moonbin had to pull Eunwoo off of Sanha before he killed him.</p>
<p>“you are a piece of shit! Who would do that to their best friend? Was I ever a friend to you?” Eunwoo asked as he was being dragged back by Moonbin. Sanha just laughed as he laid his head back on the ground before looking at Eunwoo with a crazy expression.</p>
<p>“of course not! I only hung out with you idiots so that no one would mess with me in school! Why else would I put up with you idiots?” Sanha said as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He didn’t even bother to get off of the ground. He knew that he would just end up back on the ground by one of the two in front of him.</p>
<p>“to us, you were a friend worth protecting. We trusted you, but clearly, that was only one-sided…” Moonbin said as he looked at Sanha with a mix of disgust and sadness. But it only made Sanha laugh more.</p>
<p>“protecting? More like pitying! I was like a pet you would raise and ‘protect’ so that you could show me off. Like you were saying, ‘look at him. He's worthless, but we made him better!’ that’s not friendship!” Sanha said as the two looked at him in shock. They had truly done everything that they could for him. Eunwoo had even convinced his parents to let Sanha move in with them in high school. How could he say this now?</p>
<p>Eunwoo could only feel sadness as he looked at Sanha now. He couldn’t believe that Sanha took their friendship as pity. Everything that they did to help their friend was dismissed by Sanha, and he couldn’t help but feel sorry for his once friend.</p>
<p>Before anything else happened, they heard the sound of running and turned around to see Donghun turning down the alley. As soon as he spotted the scene in front of him, he sighed in relief as he rested his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath.</p>
<p>He had run all the way there after Bora called him and told him about Eunwoo and Moonbin, possibly finding Sanha and quickly led him through her GPS tracking app. Donghun was happy to know that all of his running wasn’t for nothing as he looked down at Sanha, who still seemed dazed on the ground.</p>
<p>“Sanha, you are under arrest...” Donghun said as he slowly pulled out his handcuffs from his pocket as Sanha groaned.</p>
<p>Donghun then quickly arrested Sanha and radioed Dami to start as he waited for the police van to come and pick them up.</p>
<p>“I just radioed Dami and Jun to go get your fiancé’s ashes. It's over. We got him. I'm just sorry it took so long to catch him…” Donghun said as Eunwoo smiled softly.</p>
<p>Donghun wasn’t originally in the gang task force. When they first met, he was a rookie following the officer in charge of his fiancé's case. Donghun took the case personally and felt he failed Eunwoo when it went unsolved, and Eunwoo soon left the force, so he was relieved that he was finally able to catch Sanha after all this time, even if it was a bit late.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Dami and Jun got the message over the radio, they quickly moved in and went to retrieve the urn. Gahyeon carried the fake one carefully as she trailed behind the two, and soon they were inside as Dami knelt down in front of the case and looked at it carefully one more time.</p>
<p>The last time that she was here, they were in a rush because they weren't sure when Sanha would turn around and come back home. But not this time. As she looked carefully, she found what she was looking for. It didn’t take long to disarm the case this time, and soon they carefully lifted the glass as Gahyeon swapped the two urns with her gloved hands, and they were now ready to go.</p>
<p>The three now stood outside of Sanha’s place and thanked Jun and said their goodbyes. It was now time to return Eunbin’s mother to her. After a quick call. Everyone agreed to meet the two there. They wanted to be there when her ashes were returned, and they didn’t want Eunwoo to do it alone.</p>
<p>After a slow and careful ride, they finally pulled up to the location and walked up to see Eunwoo and the others waiting. Handong couldn’t help but look at the urn with sadness. In it was the ashes of her best friend that was like her sister.</p>
<p>Shuhua and Yuqi could tell that Handong was upset, and quickly both girls cried to calm her down. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the two girls that she fell for so quickly. They both looked up at her with an expression of pure worry.</p>
<p>They were worried about her, and it was nice to know how much they cared as they tried to calm her gently. She finally nodded that she was ok and watched as Dami removed the glass panel with Eunwoo’s help.</p>
<p>The spot where the fake urn once was now laid empty. But it wouldn’t be for long. Gahyeon held the urn carefully to her body as if holding a child as she walked over and carefully handed it over to Eunwoo.</p>
<p>After Eunwoo took the urn ion his hands, he looked at it softly. Inside was someone that he cared greatly about. And beside him stood another. Moonbin had been there for everything and always stood by his side and never pressured him. But Eunwoo couldn’t help but feel guilty. He felt like he was moving on and forgetting about her.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Eunwoo finally placed the urn beside the smaller one. The two together finally looked complete. Eunwoo gently touched Eunbin’s urn before signaling that Dami could put the glass back up. He was starting to feel overwhelmed and, without knowing, leaned into Moonbin for comfort.</p>
<p>Moonbin just silently held Eunwoo as he fought back his grief and guilt. But soon, he seemed better, and Moonbin released him to see Eunwoo looking calmer and softly smiled at him. All Moonbin wanted was to make Eunwoo happy.</p>
<p>Whether that meant he had to act like a dork to make Eunwoo laugh or just silently stand beside him, he would always be there, and Eunwoo knew that he could trust his longtime friend. The one that he now cared for greatly. Even if he couldn’t express it well yet, Moonbin knew that Eunwoo cared for him, and that was all he could ask for.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sometime later, they all left to go home and rest. It was a long night, and they definitely earned it. Everyone looked forward to a hot shower and rest as they relaxed and waited to see if they succeeded or the day reset.</p>
<p>Bora couldn’t help but get her hopes up. It felt like they finally succeeded, but she knew that that could change at any minute. All that mattered to her right now was the sleeping girl in front of her. Bora carefully got into the bed and wrapped her arms around Siyeon’s waist, causing the sleepy girl to hum happily at the touch and snuggle closer to Bora. She gently kissed Siyeon’s neck before sighing happily and drifting off to sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Morning-</p>
<p>Bora woke up, still holding Siyeon, and smiled as she felt Siyeon’s soft breathing. She could tell that Siyeon was still asleep and didn’t want to wake her. So, she sighed contently and fell back asleep while snuggling against Siyeon happily.</p>
<p>A couple of hours later, Bora was woken up by her cell phone going off. As she groaned and rolled over to get it, she realized that Siyeon was gone. Quickly Bora looked around in a panic when Siyeon stepped out of the bathroom while drying her hair and smiled softly at Bora.</p>
<p>“morning,” Siyeon said in a tiny voice as she smiled and looked over to the nightstand where Bora’s phone continued to ring. Bora was relieved to see Siyeon there. For a second, she panicked, thinking that they failed.</p>
<p>“you going to answer that?” Siyeon asked as Bora finally remembered the ringing phone and picked it up. The number was Donghun’s, and quickly she answered it.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Bora asked as she paused and listened to what he had to say. Once he was done speaking, Bora couldn’t help but sigh in relief. The evidence was substantial against Sanha. There was no way for him to get out of it this time. Sanha was going to prison.</p>
<p>Bora thanked Donghun profusely and finally hung up the phone as she looked at Siyeon with tears in her eyes. Instantly Siyeon was worried as she walked over and sat beside the smaller girl and wrapped her arms around her.</p>
<p>“Baby, what's wrong?” Siyeon asked as Bora started to cry tears of relief as she clung to Siyeon desperately. It all felt like a dream. Did they really succeed? Was all their hard work finally paying off? Bora wondered if it was really true or if she was just dreaming.</p>
<p>Bora finally looked up into Siyeon’s worried eyes and gently leaned in to kiss her girlfriend. Siyeon was surprised by the action but soon smiled and laughed softly as she held her girlfriend tighter.</p>
<p>“I'm so sorry…” Bora said to Siyeon, causing Siyeon to lean back slightly to get a better look at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>“for what?” Siyeon asked with a confused expression as Bora snuggled her head into the crook of Siyeon’s neck for comfort and mumbled.</p>
<p>The mumbling tickled Siyeon’s neck, and she couldn’t help but giggle as she cringed away from Bora and smiled.</p>
<p>“I can't understand you like that!” Siyeon said with a laugh as Bora smiled softly and looked into Siyeon’s eyes.</p>
<p>“I'm so sorry that I didn’t believe you before. You were right. You had a stalker. We caught him yesterday. That was the officer that arrested him yesterday. He's going to jail for a long time.” Bora said as Siyeon’s eyes went wide with shock and soon disbelief.</p>
<p>There was no way that the one person that had been terrifying her was just gone like that. It was all so hard to believe. The fear was still there.</p>
<p>“what do you mean?” Siyeon asked hesitantly as Bora looked down in shame.</p>
<p>“I realized you were right. Someone was stalking you. So, I asked others for help. We caught him last night. He won't be able to hurt you.” Bora said. She was tempted to say that he couldn’t hurt her anymore, but she didn’t want to trigger a reset on accident.</p>
<p>“its… it's over? He's gone?” Siyeon asked in disbelief as Bora nodded. Bora could see Siyeon putting the pieces together in her head and waited for the barrage of questions that she knew was coming.</p>
<p>“so that’s why you were working late? You were busy going after this guy?” Siyeon asked as Bora nodded.</p>
<p>“I didn’t want to tell you and have you worry. I wanted to tell you after we had good news. I'm sorry I didn’t tell you sooner…” Bora said as Siyeon sat there in shock before she asked another question.</p>
<p>“who is ‘we?’ you have been saying we instead of I…” Siyeon asked as Bora sighed and looked her in the eyes.</p>
<p>“Minji and Yoohyeon, As well as our neighbor Handong. Oh, Dami and Gahyeon also helped. But the greatest help was Eunwoo and Moonbin at the café you usually go to. They were the ones that connected me with the officer that caught him.” Bora said as Siyeon looked at her in shock. Everyone was in on it, but her and she didn’t know if she should feel happy that everyone was doing this for her or upset that she was left out.</p>
<p>“We didn’t want to stress you out and make you have to act like nothing was wrong. Your stalker might have picked up on your nerves and realized that something was wrong. Again… I'm sorry I didn’t tell you…” Bora said softly as Siyeon looked at her in shock. She didn’t know what to say. The only thing she could think of doing was holding Bora close, and when she did, the smaller girl smiled softly as Siyeon stroked her hair gently.</p>
<p>“all of you did this just for me?” Siyeon asked as Bora nodded as she laid her head on Siyeon’s shoulder. All of her emotions were making it hard for Bora to speak as they waged war inside her. She wanted to be happy. But she also felt sad and relieved. She couldn’t choose an emotion to stick with besides her love for Siyeon, who was holding her so tenderly right now.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what to say…” Siyeon said as she rested her chin on Bora and hugged her tightly. It was slowly sinking in on the singer that her stalker was finally gone. The one that has made her a nervous wreck was now gone and couldn’t bother her anymore.</p>
<p>They stayed like that for a while before they finally decided to get up and grab something to eat and snuggle on the couch after. They spent the day just being close to each other as Bora received calls from everyone as they checked to see if everything was alright.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-later-</p>
<p>Bora was a nervous wreck. Minji couldn’t help but giggle at her best friend. They were in a jewelry store, and she could see her friend sweating.</p>
<p>“I'm sure it will be fine!” Minji said as Bora looked over at her worriedly.</p>
<p>“I just want it to be perfect…” Bora said as she fidgeted nervously. She had designed and ordered a custom ring for Siyeon, and it was finally ready for pickup. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. If nothing goes wrong, after midnight, if the day doesn’t reset, then they finally succeeded.</p>
<p>Bora planned to propose as soon as she knew that they succeeded. She didn’t think she could propose twice. She was just too nervous.</p>
<p>“deep breaths, please? I'm sure it is absolutely beautiful.”  Minji said softly as Bora sighed and deflated a bit.</p>
<p>“But what if it's not? What if something is wrong and I have to wait longer? I don’t know if I can get the courage up to do this twice…” Bora said as Minji laughed and hugged her friend to calm her. She felt Bora go tense, though, as she spotted the girl bringing out the ring.</p>
<p>“This turned out beautifully. How did you ever think of this?” the girl asked as she smiled and handed the purple and gold ring box over to Bora.</p>
<p>“she has planned this for a long time,” Minji answered for her as Bora nervously opened the ring box and looked at the ring inside. Minji held her breath nervously but soon released it with a smile as Bora smiled excitedly at the ring. She was obviously pleased with it.</p>
<p>“happy?” Minji asked as Bora looked at her and nodded with a goofy smile on her face causing both Minji and the employee to laugh.</p>
<p>“good luck!” the girl said as Minji and Bora left the ring store and went to meet the others at the café.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bora smiled as she walked into the café. Everyone was there at their usual table. But what made it even better is now so was Siyeon as she smiled happily at her girlfriend. Bora’s hand instantly went to the ring box in her pocket as she looked at Siyeon with a loving expression and went straight to her and gave her a kiss.</p>
<p>“I'm sorry we are late. You know Minji’s driving.” Bora teased as Minji gasped in shock at the sudden jab at her driving skills.</p>
<p>Handong laughed as she looked at Minji’s offended expression. It was priceless, and even Yuqi and Shuhua laughed as they sat on either side of Handong. Seeing the three together was a shock for Siyeon at first, but she was excited to see Handong looking so happy.</p>
<p>“your drinks!” Moonbin said as he and Eunwoo brought over two trays filled with drinks for everyone. Moonbin was beaming, and the girls knew why. Eunwoo finally confessed to him. All of that time, Moonbin spent waiting for Eunwoo to notice him finally paid off, and he couldn’t be happier right now.</p>
<p>Dami just smiled at Bora as she watched the smaller girl's hand repeatedly go back to her pocket and smiled. She knew precisely what Bora was going through. She had been through the same thing when she wanted to propose to Gahyeon.</p>
<p>Dami looked over at Gahyeon with a soft expression as the younger girl chatted excitedly with Yoohyeon and the others.</p>
<p>Everyone seemed so happy and relaxed, but they were all nervous about tonight. What would happen? Would whatever spell the journal cast be broken? Or would they be forced to repeat everything again? They would only know once the clock struck midnight, and everyone was nervous to see if they succeeded or not.</p>
<p> After they were done with their drinks, Eunwoo closed the café early, and everyone went out to eat, and they ended up spending the day together until it hit midnight. They wanted to see if they succeeded together.</p>
<p> Bora planned to keep herself busy, and once it was past midnight, she would propose to Siyeon, but she felt like a nervous wreck. She couldn’t help but continuously reach into her pocket to hold the ring box nervously. She really hoped that Siyeon liked the ring because she put a lot of thought into it.</p>
<p>They were now at Dami’s restaurant after a fantastic meal and spent several hours there just talking and eating, and now it was fifteen minutes until midnight. Everyone couldn’t help but continuously look at the clock.</p>
<p>Minji looked over at Bora and couldn’t help but smile. The dancer was looking rather green as her nerves were getting the better of her, and Minji found it adorable. She watched as Bora clutched the ring box in her pocket as she counted down the time. They were now on their last minute, and suddenly everyone was nervous.</p>
<p>3…</p>
<p>2…</p>
<p>1…</p>
<p>Midnight…</p>
<p>Everyone waited and waited as they stared at the clock and then looked around at each other, but as soon as it hit 12:01, everyone let out a sigh of relief as Siyeon looked around the room in confusion.</p>
<p>But she noticed that now all eyes were on Bora. Siyeon suddenly felt nervous as she looked at her girlfriend.</p>
<p>Bora stood in front of Siyeon with her face flushed pink. Siyeon suddenly stood up and looked at her girlfriend. This was obviously something serious, and Siyeon wanted to give Bora her complete attention.</p>
<p>Bora gently held Siyeon’s hands in hers as she looked into her eyes nervously. It took several deep breaths for Bora to finally speak, and Siyeon was finally starting to realize what might just happen. Her eyes went wide, and her heart began to pick up as she looked at how nervous Bora was before her.</p>
<p>“Siyeon… over these last weeks, I have realized that without you, my life is meaningless. It would feel dark and dull. I am like the moon. I'm nothing without you and in a constant shadow, but you are like the sun. whenever you are around, my life seems brighter and happier…” Bora said nervously as she reached into her pocket.</p>
<p>Bora could hear Siyeon gulp nervously and couldn’t help but smile when she brought out the purple and gold box. It was designed specifically for the ring inside it, and when Bora opened the box to show Siyeon, the younger girl couldn’t help but gasp.</p>
<p>“oh my god, it's beautiful…” Siyeon said as she looked at a beautiful white gold ring with three stones set in it. One was an amethyst that was set inside a small moon while a citrine was set in a small sun. They were on either side of a beautiful ametrine. The half purple half yellow stone was beautifully cut and looked like the sun rays were lighting up the moon. Siyeon could tell that Bora had put a lot of thought into this.</p>
<p>Even the designs in the white gold held small stars and looked absolutely beautiful. Siyeon couldn’t take her eyes off of it.</p>
<p>“the amethyst represents me. I'm like the moon. Without you and your light, I’m in darkness. While the citrine represents you and how you brighten my life. The stone in the middle is an ametrine. It represents how you make my life better…” Bora said shyly as Siyeon gently took the ring out of the box and looked at the beautiful design.</p>
<p>She couldn’t help but tear up at the beautiful ring and words that Bora said. Gently Bora took the ring out of Siyeon’s hand and slowly slid it on Siyeon’s finger. It was an absolutely perfect fit, and Siyeon couldn’t help but stare at it on her hand. It was hard for her to believe that this was really happening.</p>
<p>“Siyeon… would you marry me?” Bora asked softly as she looked deeply into Siyeon’s eyes. The younger girl was at a loss for words as her emotions got the better of her, so she nodded furiously, causing Bora to laugh.</p>
<p>“really? You will marry me?” Bora asked as she watched tears stream down Siyeon’s face and was soon engulfed in a tight hug.</p>
<p>“yes. I love you, Bora. Of course, I would say yes.” Siyeon whispered into Bora’s ear as she clung to the smaller girl. It was all so overwhelming, and they forgot they weren't alone until the cheers of their friends erupted from around the room, causing the two to jump and then laugh as they looked into each other's eyes lovingly before sharing a kiss.</p>
<p>Siyeon wasn’t the only one to get proposed to that night, though. Dami proposed to Gahyeon again, and like last time she said yes. But this time it was special. Dami thought that it would be nice if both sisters were engaged on the same day. That way, it wouldn’t look like one triggered the other. And both Gahyeon and Siyeon couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can't believe you said yes…” Bora said a couple of minutes later, as Siyeon held Bora on her lap.</p>
<p>“why?” Siyeon asked as Bora just shook her head. She remembered the night she lost Siyeon. It now seems like just a bad dream. But she knows it wasn’t.</p>
<p>“I just don’t want to lose you again,” Bora whispered as Siyeon looked at her with a cute confused expression.</p>
<p>“Without you, everything is so empty…” Bora said as she held onto Siyeon, but suddenly she could feel Siyeon stiffen. Quickly she leaned back and looked at Siyeon to see a slightly blank expression. It reminded her of when she would remind the others of the repeats, but she pushed that thought away as she looked at her fiancé.</p>
<p>Tears started to stream down Siyeon’s face as she turned to Bora. The smaller girl didn’t know what was wrong or what to do when Siyeon said something that made her freeze.</p>
<p>“Siyeon, I'm so sorry, I love you too. It’s like time is frozen here without you. Everything is so empty. I feel completely empty without you. I swear that I can feel you sometimes. I can see you out of the corners of my eyes. I wish I could change this! I wish I could go back! I wish I could rewrite all of this! Where you're alive and don’t have to pretend to be ok for fear I won't believe you! I'm so sorry, Siyeon. Please, I wish I could go back… I wish I could make everything right…” Siyeon said as she spoke word for word what Bora wrote in the journal so long ago now.  Bora didn’t know what to do as she looked into Siyeon’s eyes in shock.</p>
<p>“you… you remember?” Bora squeaked out as Siyeon nodded and looked around at everyone who froze when they heard Siyeon quoting the journal. The only ones who didn’t know what was going on were Shuhua and Yuqi, but they could tell that it was something serious.</p>
<p>“all of you tried to help me… repeatedly. You all got hurt repeatedly for me…” Siyeon said as she looked at everyone. They didn’t know what to say.</p>
<p>“so, the ring… You meant losing me was the darkness you were in?” Siyeon said as Bora nodded slowly. She couldn’t believe Siyeon remembered everything.</p>
<p>“I can't be worth all of this…” Siyeon said as she looked around at everyone. They all wanted to protest, but a strange voice beat them to it.</p>
<p>“of course you are! Without you, I thought Bora was going to die. She looked like she had given up the will to live.” Minji said as Yoohyeon agreed. Siyeon knew that they were right as she remembered watching her as a ghost.</p>
<p>“Without you, I would still be shy and unable to talk. I wouldn’t have met these two.” Handong said as she stared lovingly at Shuhua and Yuqi.</p>
<p>“I would have been blind and never given Moonbin a chance without helping you,” Eunwoo said as Siyeon looked at the two. They honestly looked happy right now.</p>
<p>“without helping you, I may not have got the courage to propose… I have a fear of losing someone I care for. But I didn’t want Gahyeon to think I didn’t care for her. That is thanks to you.” Dami said as Gahyeon nodded and snuggled into Dami happily.</p>
<p>“Also, my friends that helped you all got promotions for stopping that stalker and the gang behind him. They were holding girls captive, and one girl is in the ICU right now that wouldn’t be alive without us helping you.” Eunwoo said as Siyeon looked at Bora in shock. The smaller girl nodded.</p>
<p>After several more minutes assuring Siyeon that she was worth it, they decided to drink to their success and would regret it in the morning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-the next morning-</p>
<p>Siyeon woke up with a groan as she covered her eyes with her arm. The light was just too bright right now. Her hangover was making her feel sick. Her head was spinning, and when she felt beside her, the spot where Bora should be was empty.</p>
<p>Siyeon lifted her arm from her eyes and went to look for Bora when the glint of her ring caught her attention. It was even more beautiful in the sunlight, and she couldn’t help but admire it as she turned it this way and that as the light shined across it.</p>
<p>“Like it?” Bora asked as Siyeon looked up to see her fiancé carrying a tray filled with food and hangover meds over and smiled. Siyeon nodded as she looked back to the ring again.</p>
<p>“it's absolutely beautiful. Thank you.” Siyeon said as she opened her arms, inviting Bora to cuddle, but Bora shook her head and handed her the tray.</p>
<p>“meds and food first. Then cuddling.” Bora said as Siyeon went from pouting to smiling. The quickly took her meds and ate as Bora laughed, and once finished, Siyeon opened her arms again.</p>
<p>This time Bora didn’t refuse as she climbed in bed beside her and snuggled into Siyeon’s neck with a happy sigh. It was nice to relax and just spend time with Siyeon and not have to worry about something happening to ruin it. They stayed like that for a while when Bora’s phone rang.</p>
<p>After the call, Bora could only grin as she looked at Siyeon. It was the news that she was hoping for, and she couldn't wait to share it.</p>
<p>“it looks like they will find Sanha guilty! He will be gone for a long time!” Bora said as Siyeon smiled and sighed in relief.</p>
<p>“oh, can I see your copy of the journal now?” Siyeon asked as she remembered the night before. Bora nodded and went to grab the book and hesitated. She knew that the spell was over. But she still felt nervous about a reset.</p>
<p>Carefully she brought it over to Siyeon’s desk. Siyeon walked over and watched Bora set it beside the original when something strange happened. Siyeon’s copy that looked newer and less warn vanished. Leaving only Bora’s copy behind.</p>
<p>The two looked at each other in shock before looking back at the lone journal on the desk. As Bora opened it, they noticed the writing on the pages disappearing slowly as they turned the pages. It was like time was reversing itself on the book, and the two couldn’t explain it. Even the missing pages were starting to reappear.</p>
<p>“see if you can write in it,” Bora said as Siyeon picked up a pen, but when she put it to the paper, nothing would happen. Next, Bora tried, and it had the same effect.</p>
<p>They looked at the journal in confusion when Siyeon finally had an idea. Maybe if they brought it back to the place that they bought it, then they may find out something about the book.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The antique shop wasn’t far from the apartment, and it didn’t take long for the two to get there. They heard a bell ring as they opened the door and stepped inside. A woman in a grey dress was at the counter and smiled.</p>
<p>“oh! I see you brought my journal back! I'm guessing it did its job then.” She said with a smile as Bora and Siyeon exchanged a shocked expression.</p>
<p>“so, you know about this journal?” Siyeon asked as the woman chuckled and nodded.</p>
<p>“of course. It comes and goes but always finds its way back here once its job is done.” She said as Siyeon looked at the journal in her arms.</p>
<p>“can you tell us more about it? Like how it works?” Bora asked as the woman laughed and nodded while waving them to get closer.</p>
<p>The two slowly walked over and set the journal on the counter. As soon as the woman touched it, it changed slightly. The cover was marred by a dark brown stain, and the woman couldn’t help but sigh sadly as she ran her hand gently over it.</p>
<p>“This journal was handmade by a girl a long time ago. She was a poor girl that was in love with the daughter of a rich family. She was spending time with the girl she loved when she noticed her admiring a leather-bound journal.” The woman said as she opened the journal and ran her fingers along the beautiful stitching.</p>
<p>“she decided to make one by hand. She couldn’t pay for the journal, but if she bought the items separately, she could do it. So, she saved for months and secretly made each stitch with love. But the rich girl's father was fully aware of the girls' feelings for each other.”  The woman said as her tone grew sadder.</p>
<p>“he had her dragged out of her bed and brought before him and told her to stay away from his daughter. He was planning to set up an arranged marriage. She was devastated by the news, but what he said next shocked her more. He told her if she met his daughter again, he would have her killed. After all, no one would miss some poor girl.” She said as she gently turned the cream-colored pages.</p>
<p>“that’s horrible. So, they were separated forever?” Siyeon asked, but the woman shook her head.</p>
<p>“that night she finished the journal and wrote a note in the back of the book. The next day was her lover’s birthday, and even though she knew that she would die, she refused to miss it.” She said as she slowly continued to turn the pages until she neared the end.</p>
<p>“she wanted to have no regrets so the next day she made sure she expressed her feelings. For the first time, she told the girl she loved her, and they had one romantic night together. And at the end of the night, she handed the journal to her. The girl was in love with it, but when she went to open it, she was stopped. The poor girl begged her not to read it until she got home and made her promise…” the woman said as she opened it to the back to show a very old message.</p>
<p>“I am sad that this is our last day together, but I couldn’t stay away from you. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my last day. I love you, and you are my everything. please be happy when I'm gone.” Siyeon read softly as they watched the pages shift. Soon the message was crossed out as a new message appeared with a bright red stain on the page.</p>
<p>“the rich girl was so happy as she went all the way home only to be heartbroken when she finally read the message. She couldn’t believe what she was reading and clutched the journal as she ran to the girl's house, but it was too late. She had been caught on the way home, and her body was delivered to her doorstep.” She said as she touched the poor girls writing with an unreadable expression.</p>
<p>“the rich girl looked at the body of the love of her life and couldn't imagine moving on without her. She ended up killing herself and with her last breaths wrote in this journal…” she said as she turned it so that the two could read it easily.</p>
<p>“I wish I could undo this. Everything is my fault. Please forgive me. I wish something like this would never happen to anyone again. It hurts so much without you…” Siyeon read aloud as she looked at the bright red station darken and turn to brown before fading completely.</p>
<p>“When an item is linked to a tragic event, it can either become cursed or blessed depending on the thoughts of the person at the time. Instead of wishing a curse on someone for losing her love, she wished it would never happen again. Rumors are that the two girls are now bound to this journal and have finally been able to live happily ever after. But that’s only rumors…” the woman said as she closed the now perfect book and looked at them with a smile.</p>
<p>“Did that answer your questions?” the woman asked as Bora and Siyeon nodded. Bora couldn’t help but think that the girl that was bound to the book was one of the two and smiled.</p>
<p><em>‘No wonder she didn’t want me to make a mistake. She didn’t want a tragic ending like them.’ </em>Bora thought to herself as she rested her hand on the journal one last time and mentally thanked whoever the woman was, and soon she and Siyeon left the store without the journal. They figured it was where it belonged.</p>
<p>“oh! We forgot to ask her name!” Siyeon said as she turned around and froze. The store was gone. In its place was a vacant room. Even the layout was completely different from the room that they were just standing in.</p>
<p>“wait… what?” Bora said as she looked through the window and tried the door, but it was locked and looked like it hadn’t been opened in a very long time. The two couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The entire shop was just gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Several Months Later-</p>
<p>“I think I'm going to be sick…” Dami said as Handong straightened her white suit. It looked perfect on her, but it would be ruined if Dami really did feel sick.</p>
<p>“deep breaths… Shuhua and Yuqi tell me that Gahyeon looks beautiful.” Handong said as Dami’s eyes lit up at the mention of her fiancé.</p>
<p>“really? Though she's always beautiful.” Dami said with a soft smile as Handong laughed at her lovestruck friend.</p>
<p>After Siyeon and Bora returned, the journal life went on like normal, and it was now Gahyeon’s and Siyeon’s wedding day. They both couples were extremely nervous, and their friends decided to split up and help each girl individually.</p>
<p>Handong was with Dami as she tried to calm the younger girl's nerves while Yuqi and Shuhua helped Gahyeon, who wasn’t doing much better she was so excited that she was making herself sick.</p>
<p>Minji was with her best friend, and Bora really could use the support. She was panicking, and Minji knew just what to do.</p>
<p>“relax. When I married Yoohyeon, it was like nothing else mattered but the two of us.” Minji said as Bora glared at her friend.</p>
<p>“I still don’t forgive you for proposing last and marrying first…” Bora said as Minji laughed at her friend pouting. But after several minutes of joking, she had Bora smiling and no longer looking like she was going to pass out. So, it was a good sign.</p>
<p>The only one who wasn’t a panicking mess was Siyeon. She seemed to be in a bubble of happiness as she smiled and stared at the beautiful ring all day. She couldn’t wait to be married to Bora. Though it wouldn’t be legal, it was the meaning behind it that Siyeon cherished. She knew that Bora feared marriage for years. So, this was everything to Siyeon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-the weddings-</p>
<p>Dami was standing at the alter when Gahyeon walked in, and she felt her breath catch as she looked at Gahyeon, walking there in a beautiful black dress with her beautiful hair draped over a shoulder. Dami swore her heart stopped for a second, and suddenly the fear went away as she looked at the beautiful girl in front of her.</p>
<p>The wedding went by quickly, and Dami didn’t remember much of it except the look of love in Gahyeon’s eyes and the gentle and shy smile that she gave Dami when she said I do. Everything seemed so perfect, and she couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>And now that it was over, it was time to encourage Bora. Her wedding was set right after. Both sisters decided who married first with a game of rock paper scissors to the dismay of their partners, but they stuck with that because they wanted each couple to have their moment instead of holding a joint wedding.</p>
<p>Bora had watched Dami getting married and couldn’t help but feel proud of the two, but when it became her turn, her anxiety came on with a vengeance.</p>
<p>“you are not going to run, are you?” Dami teased as she walked in with her wife. Bora smiled happily at the couple and shook her head.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t do that to Siyeon, but fainting is an option. A very plausible option, please have smelling salts ready…” Bora said with a groan as Gahyeon giggled at Bora’s silliness.</p>
<p>Unlike what Bora feared, she didn’t faint. She couldn’t even think of it when Siyeon smiled so shyly at her. Her heart ached from the cuteness, and like everything was a dream, it was over. The two couples enjoyed the rest of the wedding as the parents proudly watched their children smile like lovestruck kids.</p>
<p>Dami’s uncle even showed up with Donghun to congratulate the couples and tell them that Sanha was officially convicted of murder. The case was done, and they didn’t have to fear him ever again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Soon the party was over, and the couples were separating to go back to their own places. Eunwoo and Moonbin would be their drivers on the way home, and Bora and Siyeon were sitting in the limousine that was being driven by Eunwoo as they smiled happily at each other. They couldn’t feel any happier than they do at this moment.</p>
<p>“I still can't believe this is happening. I thought I lost you… then to get a second chance to go up against fate… it all sounds so unbelievable…” Bora said as Siyeon smiled softly and leaned in to kiss her wife gently.</p>
<p>“but it's true, and you did it. I remember watching you mourn for me. It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I wished that I could hold you at least one more time, but instead, you changed fate for me. And you managed to bring everyone together in the process. You are such an amazing person, and you have no idea how much I love you.” Siyeon said as she kissed Bora softly until the two were out of breath.</p>
<p>“I would do anything for you. You are my everything. You are my sun. without you, I'm nothing.” Bora said back with a soft smile as they giggled and continued to kiss all the way to what they thought was their apartment But instead pulled up to the airport. Bora and Siyeon looked at Eunwoo with a confused expression as he held up the girls’ passports.</p>
<p>“a wedding gift from Dami’s uncle. He is paying for your honeymoons. All of them. Yours, Dami’s, and Minji’s. Even ours in a couple of months. I was told to just bring you and that you didn’t need to pack anything just bring yourselves.” Eunwoo said with a laugh as he got out of the car and opened the door for the couple.</p>
<p>Bora and Siyeon looked around and quickly spotted the others. Minji and Yoohyeon waved excitedly as Dami and Gahyeon snuggled closely to each other. They were oblivious to the other couple beside them as they waited for Bora and Siyeon to arrive.</p>
<p>“you made it!” Yoohyeon shouted excitedly as the two nodded but were unsure what they were exactly doing there.</p>
<p>“come on! Our plane leaves in an hour!” Minji said as she dragged Dami and Gahyeon with them towards the gate.</p>
<p>“But we don’t have any clothing or anything!” Siyeon said as the others laughed. She didn’t know about Dami’s uncle and his extensive background checks.</p>
<p>The flight was a couple of hours, and soon they landed. The girls were utterly amazed as they looked at a beautiful resort, and when they checked in, each couple had a honeymoon suite. The view was absolutely amazing, and Bora couldn’t help but smile as she watched Siyeon look out of the window excitedly, but that was soon interrupted by a knock on the door.</p>
<p>Bora opened the door to see the other girls coming in. Dami and Gahyeon seemed amused while Minji looked a little startled.</p>
<p>“Bora… please check your closets…” Minji said as Bora raised a brow, but Minji didn’t answer and led her over to the walk-in closet. When Bora opened them, she gasped in shock. Dami’s uncle had filled it with beautiful clothes that looked like the perfect size for the two girls.</p>
<p>“This is amazing…” Bora said as Dami snorted. She knew what was coming because it happened to Minji too.</p>
<p>“wait, he even supplied us with underwear? OHMY GOD HE REALLY DOES KNOW OUR UNDERWEAR SIZE!” Bora shouted as Minji nodded, and Dami laughed hysterically.</p>
<p>“ok, that’s a little creepy, but you do realize that we are stranded with no money, right?” Siyeon said as she looked through the closet as she admired some of the things inside.</p>
<p>“no need to worry… my uncle gave me his card!” Dami said as she held up the black credit card with a smile. After all the stress the last few weeks, the girls needed to unwind, and that is what her uncle had planned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>-Unknown-</p>
<p>“I wondered if they would succeed…” the store owner said as she smiled and looked at the girl from the journal who smiled back at her.</p>
<p>“it was a bit difficult for a while there, but I knew that they could do it. I missed you…” she said longingly as the store owner walked around the counter and held her. As soon as the two touched, the girl of the journal became visible as she smiled sweetly to the store owner.</p>
<p>“I missed you too. Hopefully, we will have a bit of time together before the next owner comes along.” She said as she looked into the poor girl's eyes with tenderness.</p>
<p>“we may not be able to spend every moment together, but I love these moments the most.” The poor girl said as she held onto the rich girl tightly as she looked out of the store window.</p>
<p>“where do you think we are now?” the rich girl said as she looked at the unknown city before them. But the other girl could only shrug.  Nothing looked familiar.</p>
<p>Suddenly two girls walked through the door as the store owner smiled sadly, looking at her now empty arms.</p>
<p><em>‘well, at least we get to spend eternity helping keep others from this fate…’</em> the woman said as she smiled and welcomed the two girls as they browsed the new antique shop.</p>
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